A Raven and a Writing Desk
by Marvelous.Mirana.of.Marmoreal
Summary: Mirana is a sweet  but sickly  little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common? Well, much more than they thought.
1. Chapter 1

**I got this idea from Akkie-chan when were talking on DeviantArt…so here we go ****This chapter is extremely short because it is basically an introduction...Please don't tell me that Mirana does not have brown hair. I know that. I put that in here for a reason...**

**Title- A Raven and a Writing Desk**

**Summary- Mirana is a sweet (but sickly) little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common?**

**Disclaimer- I DO NOT own Alice in Wonderland nor do I own its wonderful character's or story plot…sadly **

**Chapter 1: A New Beginning**

"**A new baby is like the beginning of all things- wonder; hope…a dream of possibilities."—Eda J. LeShan**

The White Queen of Crims stared in wonderment at the newborn child in her arms. She was amazed at her beauty! Her skin may have been a bit too pale, but her eyes were hazel, her hair was a very pretty dark brown, and her face was perfectly proportioned. Her cheeks were a little bit red and she was frantically glancing about the room. The King reached down and took the child from her arms and held it up. He was being a little rough, but he had been worse with their eldest. The King studied the tiny girl, scowled, and thrust her back into her mother's arms.

"Too. Skinny," he said simply, and walked out of the room. The Queen was surprised at his behavior, but even more by her daughter's. She hadn't cried through the ordeal. She was calm and was looking up at her parent as if to ask, 'What did I do?'

"Racy? Can you come in for a moment?" called the mother. A girl- five years old to be exact- entered the room. Her skin was a bit pale as well, though not as pale as her sister's. Her head was a bit large- swelling, they called it. She had fallen and taken a hard hit when she was younger. Her hair was a blazing red with locks of curls covering her head. Her eyelids were painted blue and her eyes were brown as well. She had a short temper, but could be very loving if you were on her good side. She walked cautiously up to her mother- whom was still lying in bed- and peeked over the edge of the bed.

"Take a look at your sister," encouraged the Queen. She lifted the older girl onto the bed and sat her on the left. She helped Iracebeth cradle the baby in her arms and watched as they saw each other for the first time. The younger of the two smiled, giggling, and reached up to play with one of the red curls. "What shall we call her, Racy?" asked her mother. Iracebeth thought this over for a moment. She wanted her sister to have a unique name- one no one would ever come up with.

"Meewahna. Her name is Meewahna of Cwims." Iracebeth had seen this name somewhere. Someone told her it meant wonderful, peace, and prosperous.

"How in Underland do you spell that, love?"

"M. I. R. A. N. A. Meewahna," she stated simply.

"Mirana is a wonderful name. A very good choice."

_And from then on, the little girl with white skin and brown hair was known as Mirana of Crims._

Somewhere across Underland- in the Tulgey Wood- another baby was born.- in fact, it was a set of triplets- about a month later.

The new mother Hightopp lay in her bed with two of children in her arms. One was a little girl. Her hair was dark brown- like her mother- and her eyes were a light blue color. Her eyelids were slightly pink and her little fingernails were a slight shade of pink. Her twin was a little boy. His hair was brown as well- like his mother- and his eyes were blue as well. His eyelids were a slight shade of blue and his fingernails were a slight shade of blue.

Their other sibling- another boy- was in his father's arms. His hair was bright red- like his father- and his eyes were a brilliant green. His eyelids were both blue and pink, but it was completely noticeable. You couldn't miss it! His fingernails were green as well. Not too long ago, the young parents found out that his eyes, nails, and eyelids changed color with his mood.

The parents had been expecting a visit from Royalty to welcome the children into Underland, and were quite disturbed by the third child's reaction to everything around him. When the Queen entered their household, she was carrying a tiny bundle in a white blanket. The Hightopps were inclined to ask what it was, but thought it better not to.

"I see you have three little children! How wonderful! What are their names?" asked the woman. The parents looked at each other. They had picked out names beforehand, but they didn't know how to answer such an enthusiastic person.

"The little girl is Tarra, this boy is Tarrance, and that boy is…Tarrant," answered their father.

_And from then on, the little boy with changing eyes and orange hair was known as Tarrant Hightopp._


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm gonna put a link to a picture on my profile. It's how I think Mirana might have looked as a baby ****there's another link on my profile for Tarrant. I'm adding another link for the next important character…**

**Title- A Raven and a Writing Desk**

**Summary- Mirana is a sweet (but sickly) little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common? Well, much more than either of them thought.**

**Disclaimer- I saw the movie, then went home and cried because I don't own them :P**

**Chapter 2: Sibling Love**

"**If you don't understand how a person could both love their sibling dearly and want to wring their neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child." –Linda Sunshine**

The White Queen of Crims stared in wonderment at the newborn child in her arms. She was amazed at her beauty! Her skin may have been a little pale, but her eyes were light blue, her hair was a very pretty golden color, and her face was perfectly…imperfect. Her eyes were a tiny bit too big. Her cheeks were a little bit red and she was frantically glancing about the room. The King reached down and took the child from her arms and held it up. He was being a little rough, but he had been worse with their eldest and middle child. The King studied the tiny girl, smiled, and hugged her gently to his chest.

"She's beautiful…" he trailed off. He eventually handed the child back to her mother.

"Mira? Racy? Can you come here for a minute?" The 6 and 12 year olds entered the room. The latter had a slightly annoyed look on her face and the younger was smiling brightly, as she often did. Racy was wearing a maroon and black dress, covered in hearts; her curly hair was piled up on top of her head, under a tiara. Mirana was wearing a light yellow dress with her straight black/brown hair cascading over her shoulders. "This is your new sister," said the Queen softly. Mirana squealed in delight; Iracebeth left the room. "Come name her, Mira." Mirana climbed up on the bed and rested a hand on her sister's stomach.

"Julia," she decided. She nodded her head, confirming it.

"What a pretty name." Mirana held out her arms, and Julia was gently placed in them. Mirana sat there for hours, resting against her mother and cradling her sister. The older sibling played with the baby's short golden curls and ran her fingers over her light skin. Julia wasn't as pale as her kin, but she was close to it. When the baby opened her eyes, Mira was mesmerized by the deep blue color. The little child smiled, showing her gums, and gripped her sister's thumb tightly in her fist. Mirana grinned and caressed the young girl's face. Her skin was smoother than anything she'd ever touched.

* * *

**Let's fast forward just two more years, hmm?**

Tarrant ran down the halls of his family's home out in the Tulgey Wood. He had just turned eight years old along with the two other of the triplets. Tarra was old enough to work at the castle of Crims, though Tarrant didn't know what she did. Tarrance was learning how to sword fight with some of the army men at the castle. Tarrant was working at home in their mother's Tea Shop- Mother Hightopp's Little Tea Shop. Tarrant had come up with the name…he loved the rhyming. He served the costumers and occasionally was lucky enough to work in the kitchen with Mrs. Earwicket and her son, Thackary.

"Tarrant! Go collect the lemons from the tree outback, we need more." He loved collecting lemons. It gave him a chance to climb a tree without getting in trouble with his mother.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. He was always told to be respectful of his parents. So, after gathering the lemons, he ran back inside, still full of energy. When he entered the kitchen, he found his mother standing at an open door. She was still and silent. Tarrant walked a bit closer and saw that no one was standing on the other side of the door. He kept looking back and forth from his mother's face to the empty road. Hopping away was Mr. McTwisp, his friend Nivens' father. He was the Royal Messenger.

"Umm…Momma?" he asked in a small voice. Quite frankly, his mother was scaring him. He reached up and touched her shoulder. He seemed to have pushed the un-pause button. She crippled, dropping to her knees and digging her face in her hands. Tarrant knelt beside her and placed an arm across her shoulder. He smoothed her hair out of her face and shushed her- his younger brothers and sisters were asleep.

"Ta-Tarrant…go to Crims and get your brother and…and your sister…" she said between sobs. He ran outside and hopped on his horse- Teacup- and went all the way to the Castle of Crims.

* * *

Back at their house, all 10 children were sitting in the living room. Tarrant was fixing his mother some tea while the other children sat anxiously, waiting for their mother to talk. After she had settled with the hot tea and dried her tears enough to actually see them, she spoke in a low, shaky voice.

"Do you all remember how Daddy went to be a miner for the king?" They all nodded. "Well, that mine collapsed last night," she said. Tears filled her eyes again and flowed freely down her cheeks. The rest of the children were just shocked. They ranged in age from 6 months to 8 years. The triplets were oldest at 8 years old, Trina and Trent were both 6 years old (they were twins), the next set of twins were Tori and Tommy who were 4, the last set of twins were Tyler and Typhany who were 2, and the last child was a baby girl named Nennie who was 6 months. Each and every one of them (except Nennie) sat wide eyed and uncomprehending. Their mouths were little 'O's of amazement.

"So…he's…gone?" asked Trina.

"Where Daddy go?' asked Tyler.

"Is he comin' back?" wondered Tori.

"No, Tori…Daddy's not coming back," whispered Tarra. She took Tyler and Typhany in her arms, supporting their weight on her hips, and left to the kitchen. Trina followed her. When Tarra was upset, she cooked. Tori and Tommy took Tarrance's hands and led him into the other room and Trent tagged along. When they were upset, they made jigsaw puzzles to calm themselves. Tarrant picked Nennie up off the ground and sat back down on the couch. He let her suckle his finger and watched her. How could she not be affected by what was going on around her?

"Tarrant, are you alright, love?" his mother said, rather nervously. He was prone to becoming increasingly violent when he was upset. He looked up and she saw his eyes were a deep blue. She'd never seen them this color before. She'd seen them red when he was angry, orange when he went mad, purple when he was regretting something, and green when he was happy.

"And I thought I had you figured out…Tarrant, I'm going to have to ask you a huge favor, dear." He nodded solemnly. "I need you to be the 'man of the house,' so to speak. Can you help me with all the kids?" His lips were pressed in a tight line, but he nodded like he was determined. He stood, cradling Nennie, and walked into the kitchen. He was determined to cheer everyone up!

"So…what's for lunch, dear sister?" he asked happily, smiling. Tarrant turned towards him with tear stains going down her face. His grin dropped as he realized the task ahead of him. He shifted Nennie so that she was in one arm rather than both. He rushed to his sister and draped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to himself. She dug her face into his shoulder and cried her eyes out. The youngest twins came and hung on his leg, crying as well.

"I wish I could help you…I wish I could make the hurt go away…" **(A/N- my mother said that to me when my grandmother died) **They all looked at him like he was the greatest person in Underland. Like he was the best brother they could ask for.

"Now that you've stopped crying…what's for lunch? I'm starving!"

"Jerk!" Tarra exclaimed, smiling and punching him in the arm. Nennie smiled up at all of them as if nothing had ever happened. It amazed them what siblings can do for each other in a time of need. They stuck by each other's sides for days until they were sure everyone was…mentally stable enough to go about the day alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Is there anything that you guys really want to see happen? I'll take suggestions with an open mind :D Did you know a Hightopp and Mira are actually best friends? But…which one?**

**Title- A Raven and a Writing Desk**

**Summary- Mirana is a sweet (but sickly) little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common? Well, much more than either of them thought.**

**Disclaimer- **sigh* I don't own these wonderful characters, the books they're in, or the movies they're in :P why do you keep asking me? It only reminds me that I can never own them…**

**Chapter 3: Changes**

"**Falling ill is not something that happens to us, it is a choice we make as a result of things happening to us."—Jonathan Miller**

_**Mirana, 8 years old**_

When Mirana had first gotten a - 8 years old and one month- she knew her body didn't have a normal response. She had woken up, soaked in a cold sweat, and 2 in the morning. Her body was hot, as well as her head, and she was dizzy. When her mother touched her skin, she said it was ice-cold. Mirana was uncomfortable to an extreme. She wanted to crawl under her blankets for comfort, but she got too hot and had to sit in front of a fan. She ended up in the kitchen in front of the open ice-box. Her mother had come and near dragged her back to her room, telling her they'd see the doctor in the morning.

By the time the doctor had seen Mirana, she had only gotten worse. Her skin now looked waxy like she hadn't eaten for a while. He eyes were sunken as if she hadn't slept, which- in fact- she hadn't. Her skin had actually gotten even colder. Whenever she touched something, she flinched. To her, everything was burning hot. She got a little lesson from Racy about how hot and cold are relevant terms. Mira dressed in her lightest dress even though it was winter, and headed down to the infirmary with her mother.

"I don't know what's wrong with her. She has a body temperature of 90 degrees- that is far too low. She should've frozen to death!" Mirana's eyes grew wide. 90 degrees! Amazing! She had been told that normal temperature was 98.6 degrees…or was it 96.8? _What does it matter? _she thought to herself, _At least I'm still alive. _

"Will…will she be okay?" The doctor shrugged his shoulders and went on to his next patient.

Well, Mirana did not get better- but she didn't get worse. She did get used to having the symptoms she had as time wore on. She wore light clothing and kept her hair pulled back in a way that looked just right with her black hair. Her closest friend, Tarra Hightopp, kept her company on days when she was too weak to get out of bed. She spent her days in the kitchen, baking, in order to keep herself from over stressing. Baking had always calmed her down and Tarra said she could take the extra food home to her family.

"You should bring your family here! Yes, yes, that's a wonderful idea! I'd love to meet them and, oooh; we could have a tea party and everything! Come now, Tarra, they can't be that bad."

"You'd be surprised, Mira."

"Then bring only two of them, but please, I'd love to meet them," insisted the young girl. She was only 8 and 2 months, but she acted much older. Her mother called her 8 going on 18. She was very intelligent- she spent her spare time reading in the Great Library. She knew things she wasn't supposed to know and she read things she wasn't supposed to read. Of course, this made her all the more excited to know them!

"Fine- tomorrow afternoon. But I'm not going to promise you that they'll behave…correctly." And with that, Tarra left home. Mira finished baking her sugar cookies, iced them, and set them out to cool. She went through the castle, searching for her baby sister. The little girl was just over 2 years old and was the most adorable thing in the world! When she finally found her, she swooped her up and spun her around.

"Good afternoon Julia! How are you, baby?"

"Imma big girl, Miwa! But I'm guwd." Mirana smiled. She would bend over backwards for her little sister- and her elder.

"How about we pay a little visit to Iracebeth?" The little girl bounced excitedly in her arms, nodding and grinning. They skipped down the hall all the way to the dining hall. Inside, Iracebeth was having lunch with that boy who worked in the stables- Illosovic Stayne. Racy was leaning on her elbow, giggling like an idiot. When the two younger girls opened the girls, Racy glared, and then motioned for them to sit and have lunch.

"Good afternoon. You must be the friends Iracebeth was speaking of." Mira cocked an eyebrow at Racy and smirked.

"Well, of course! We're the best of friends, now aren't we _Racy_?" The elder girl glared at her again, then picked Julia up and sat her on her own lap. She fed her little pieces of sandwich, and then tried to give her some tea.

"Stop!" Mira shrieked. Iracebeth froze, Stayne stiffened, and Julia covered her ears. Mirana grabbed Julia out of Iracebeth's arms and continued to yell, "Don't you know what tea does to children?"

"No, in fact, I don't," she stuttered back.

"Do you realize how hyper she could get? And then the depressed feeling she'll have when she crashes?" Mirana ran out of the room, forgetting about lunch, and dropped Julia off with her mother. She kissed her sister on the nose and headed off to bed- she was feeling a little light-headed.

* * *

The next day, Mirana lie in her bed, not bothering to get up. She felt like she was baking in an oven, but she couldn't truly lift her arms enough to move her blankets off her body. So she waited for Tarra until that afternoon, when she arrived with her brother and sister. When Tarra entered the room, Mira heard her tell them to wait a moment. She rushed inside and wiped the perspiration from her friend's face.

"How long have you been under this blanket?" she exclaimed. Mirana smiled weakly, her eyelids drooping over half her eyes.

"Since this morning. I'll be fine, honestly. Just get them off me." Tarra quickly whipped the blankets off the entire bed and folded them in the corner. Eventually, she did bring her siblings in. Mirana ogled at the boy standing timidly at the door. His hair was bright orange and he wore a ripped up top hat. In his arms, he held a little baby- no more than 8 months old- and was letting her suckle his finger.

"Mirana, this is my brother and sister- Tarrant and Nennie. Tarrant, this is Mirana of Crims, my best friend." Tarrant stood frozen, his eyes going from silver to blue to green to silver again.

* * *

**Just seconds ago…**

**Tarrant, 8 years old**

He stared at her tiny frame lying on the large mattress. Her hair was matted against her forehead with sweat and her cheeks were bright red, but she looked very pretty to him anyway. Her hair was a very dark brown and her skin was paler than his own (besides her cheeks, of course. Those were getting redder by the moment). Tarra kept looking back and forth between them, trying to figure out what they were doing. She mouthed "Okay…" to herself and went to help Mirana sit up. She leaned her friend's body against the wall behind her and pulled her brown hair into a ponytail behind her head.

"H-hello, Mr. Hightopp," whispered Mirana, exasperated from moving.

"Hello, princess."

"Please, just call me Mirana."

"On one condition, Mirana." He smirked and Mira furrowed her eyebrows.

"And what's that?"

"You call me Tarrant, not Mr. Hightopp. That is- excuse me, _was_- my father." He cast his eyes downward, composing himself, and looked back at her with a huge gap toothed grin.

"So when do I start?" he asked.

"Start what?"

"Being your friend."


	4. Chapter 4

**This is my BIGGEST story (in my opinion) and I'm trying to make it perfect (my definition of perfect, see profile). So, here's chapter 4, published much earlier than I expected. Two chapters in one day! Enjoy ;) By the way, we're finally getting out of the 3****rd**** person POV…it's annoying me. I was so damn close to crying while writing this chapter that it isn't even funny. **

**Title- A Raven and a Writing Desk**

**Summary- Mirana is a sweet (but sickly) little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common? Well, much more than either of them thought.**

**Disclaimer- **Checks Book's Author** Nope, I still don't own them.**

**Chapter 4: Losing You**

"**A penny for my thoughts? Oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar.  
There was so much more after I'm a goner.  
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singing- funny when you're dead  
how people start listening.**

**If I die young: bury me in satin, lay me down on a bed of roses,**  
**sink me in the river at down, send me away with the words of a love song.**  
**The ballad of a dove, go with peace and love.**  
**Gather up your tears; keep 'em in your pocket.**  
**Save 'em for a time when your really gonna need up.**  
**The sharp knife of a short life; well, I've had just enough time…"—If I die young by The Band Perry**

**Tarra, 9 years old**

A year past, and Mirana and Tarrant grew closer by the day. Tarra was a little jealous, but thought nothing of it. They were merely friends and…Mirana couldn't forget her. Could she? No, what an absurd question! Preposterous. Mirana spent just as much time with her as she did with Tarrant, as far as she knew. Tarra found herself caring for Julia or Nennie (or both) more and more. Mirana usually joined her, but it was only when Tarrant wasn't at the castle. Tarra eventually stopped coming to the castle everyday. At first, it was every other day. Then once a week. Then every other weekend. And finally, she stopped all together. She decided Mirana had found herself a new friend- her own brother. Talk about being replaced.

**Mirana, 9 years old**

"Tarra? Tarra, where are you?" I shouted, running down the halls. I needed to see her; it was like she had been avoiding me all month! It was near brillig and I was growing tired. I walked around one or two more corners, thinking I heard her voice. There she stood with Tarrant, whispering angrily at him. I tucked my body behind the corner just enough so that they couldn't see me, but I could hear them.

"You know, _Tarrant,_" she spat, "I miss my friend. It's like you're monopolizing her time! Let her be with whom she wants for heaven's sake! I can't believe you! I haven't had ten minutes with her alone since you started coming to the castle!"

"Excuse me, but I believe she has been choosing to be with me. I haven't asked her to be with me once in the last month. She trusts me, you know. She told me that she thinks you've been avoiding her. She said she misses you and wants to see you but she _can't find you anywhere!"_ he screamed at her. I walked casually around the corner, trying to make it look like I hadn't heard any of it.

"Can't find who? Oh! There you are, Tarra! Where in Underland have you been? Come with me, we have much to do!" I dragged my friend by her arm away from Tarrant. "Let me just talk to him for one minute." I ran back to him- far enough so that _she _couldn't hear _us._ I smiled at him and touched his shoulder lightly. "I'll see you later?" I asked timidly.

"Of course, ye sillay gurl. Guhd night ta ye." We hugged briefly and I took Tarra to my room, where we talked the afternoon away. A mere 3 hours later, she told me she had to get home and feed the children. I bid her goodnight and waited in my room for Tarrant. I was anxious- we hadn't met this late in weeks. I felt my eyes start to close and I drifted off to Dreamland for a couple minutes…or hours.

I felt his hand on my shoulder. I could tell it was his- his fingers were calloused and rough, yet soothing in a way. I snapped my eyes open and smiled at him. He was staring in my face, watching me sleep. How sweet. I slowly sat up and stretched a little. I gasped as I realized that I was cold. I dropped down and burrowed under my blankets again. It was freezing!

"Mira?" I poked my head out of the blankets with a stupid grin on my face.

"Come one! Don't just sit there and watch!" Her smiled and kicked off his shoes. We crawled around under the blankets and tried to find each other. My bed was huge and it wasn't easy to seek out each other. He suddenly came out of nowhere and our foreheads bumped together.

"Ouch!" we both exclaimed. We collapsed on our stomachs and rubbed our foreheads. I knew I'd bruise, but he probably wouldn't. Nennie slammed their heads together all the time! I looked up at him, smiling again, and inspected his head. He looked fine, but I couldn't really see because of the darkness. He stared at each other for a while, just stared. He took my hand and immediately let go.

"What's wrong?" I asked a little hurt.

"Your hand…it's hot. Really, really hot." So that's why I was so cold.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For the fact that my hand's too hot for you to hold," I mumbled. He suddenly seemed to get an idea. He disappeared and I dragged myself out from under the blankets. I saw him putting a glove on. I smirked and smoothed my hair down from being under the covers. He climbed back on my bed and held my hand tightly. The heat didn't affect him now that he had his glove on.

"Daddy, what're ya doin'?" asked Julia. I sat in the chair across from Daddy and Julia. He was writing something down on paper. Personally, I was curious as well, but I knew better than to ask. There were a few men looking over his shoulder. I felt like a little girl again. All the men around me were so much older.

"Nothing, baby. How about you and Mira go up and play dolls?" I smiled and stood, picking up Julia in my arms. I swung her in a quick circle, earning a giggle from the little blonde. Our skirts twirled out around us and our hair became slightly messy. I chuckled as well, and started toward the door.

"Love you, Daddy. Guhdnight!" Julia shouted past my shoulder. She jumped down from my arms and fumbled as she tried to walk away. I heard my father say something to the men before I was out of earshot.

"And there goes my life- my future, my everything. 'I love you, Daddy goodnight' is something I want to hear it every night. Both of them are so beautiful… So smart, you know? I wonder how they do it." I smiled to myself and walked a little faster, trying to follow Julia. I kept thinking about what my father said. Did he really mean it? He'd never told us that…Well, I was happier now- I knew my father loved me. I just wonder if he says the same of Iracebeth. She'll be the Queen after all. I better stop fussing over it…She has Illosovic. He's a good man- he'll take care of my beloved sister.

* * *

Two long weeks had passed since I'd seen either Tarra or Tarrant. I decided to go pay them a visit, you know, to make sure everything was okay. I hopped on my horse- Snow White- and rode off to Witzend. No one would notice my absence. After all, I'd only be gone for a matter of hours. It wasn't like I'd be gone for a few days, right?

In about one hour, I'd reached the Hightopp clan's territory. I rode carefully, making sure to watch out for people. It wasn't hard- most were standing still in shock, staring at me. I sighed, and rode with my head held high. The crowds thinned as I drew closer to Tarrant's house. Once I was there, I tied Snow White to a nearby tree- who was very cooperative- and knocked shyly on their door. The door was immediately whipped open. In front of me stood two little children- one a boy, one a girl. They looked to be a bout 6 years old to me, give or take a year.

"Who is it, Trina? Trent, please answer!" Tarrant called. I figured those were their names. I found the two of them adorable! I smiled politely.

"Is Tarrant of Tarra here?" When I spoke Tarra's name, Trina flinched. I considered some possibilities. Perhaps they didn't have a good relationship.

"I think she can come in," said Trent to Trina.

"Yeah, she looks okay." They smiled and led me into their home. It was quite amazing. There were so many different colors and clothing strewn everywhere. It was messy, but it was the organized kind of messy. I liked it.

"We're in here!" called an older voice. I followed it into a bedroom and gasped in shock. Tarrant and his brother- Tarrance, whom I've seen before- were sitting by a bed. I assumed their other siblings were off with relatives somewhere in the Wood. What surprised me was what was lying in the bed. Well, not a what, but a who. Tarra was lying there with her eyes closed, breathing deeply. From what I could see of her, she had a terrible rash covering every inch of skin. Her face was flushed, not covered with the red bumps. In the tiny folds of her neck were these dark areas of skin. They looked really hyper pigmented to me. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself- I didn't want to hyperventilate in front of them.

"Umm…hello?" I said, but it sounded like a question- and a rude question at that. "What…what happened?" I exclaimed. I felt myself freaking out, but didn't bother to stop.

"She has Scarlatina," whispered their mother. I looked at Tarrant.

"Scarlet Fever," he muttered. I sucked in a sharp breath and my eyes widened. That explained the rash. I went and stood next to Tarrant. I reached down and felt her forehead- it was hot.

"Her temperature?' I managed to get out.

"104," Tarrance replied simply. I bit my lip.

"What stage is she in?" I wondered. Please, please, do not let it be the second.

"The second stage." Upon hearing that, I mumbled a word that sounded odd in my voice. Tarrant reached behind him and found my hand, gripping it tightly. I let my tears fall silently. The second stage was dehydration. The third was recovery…that is, if the dehydration hadn't caused death already. I had done my fair share of research on the topic. I planned on working in the infirmary when Iracebeth was Queen.

"Have you any water?" I asked.

"Well, not enough to keep her alive and then have enough to keep the other children hydrated. I feel like a guddler's scut. I'm sacrificing her for the other kids. Is this so wrong?" asked Tarrant. I shook my head no, but I was silently thinking that the answer was probably supposed to be yes, this is terrible. I leaned down and rested my head on his shoulder so that I could whisper in his ear.

"You couldn't possibly help it, could you?" He shook his head no, tickling my nose with his orange hair.

"Suppose not. Can…can I come see you…after…?" he trailed off. I nodded slightly and let my tears flow freely now. I went over and kissed Tarra on the forehead. Her eyes opened.

"Hey…you came?' she asked weakly. I nodded, holding back a sob that threatened to break free. I squeezed her hand. "I don't know how much longer I'll-"

"Hush up right now. Don't you dare say that," I said, letting my sob free. I bent down and dug my head into her shoulder. He rested her hand on my back and rubbed slightly. "Don't…don't leave me, Tarra. This is…this is impossible."

"Nothing's impossible, Mira. Do this for me- everyday, think of six impossible things before you even eat breakfast. Please, just that one thing." I pulled back and wiped at my tears furiously.

"Sure. I love you, Tarra, maybe too much, but I…I have to go now. I love you so much," I sobbed. She cried now too.

"Love you too, Mira. I'll see you in Heaven, alright? Don't you worry you're little head about me…I'll be better there. Keep yourself healthy for everyone's sake. They all need you more than you know." She let her tears drench her face. She knew it- she knew she was dying. I kissed her forehead one long, last time. When I pulled away, I left my hand in hers for just one more minute.

"Good bye, my dear, beloved friend." I finally got the strength to let go of her and walk out the door. I tried not to look back at her. If I did, I would certainly not be able to leave. I kept my head down and my hands clasped behind me. I waved a sad goodbye to Trina and Trent, whom both waved back. I heaved myself onto my horse once I was outside and rode quickly back to Crims. The wind whipped my hair into my face and I let my tears fall. They stung my skin as the air cooled them. I stormed into the castle and ran to my room. Racy grabbed my arm.

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"_**LEAVE ME THE BLOODY HELL ALONE! JUST LET GO! EVERYONE HAS TO LET GO AT SOME POINT!" **_I shrieked at her. She let go of my arm in shock and I ran off to my room. I dug my face into my pillow and screamed incoherent words, taking out my anger in a way that hurt nobody…except me. And possibly the pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long…I've just been terribly busy…Near the end of the chapter, I want you all to guess what fruits they're actually eating :D**

**Title- A Raven and a Writing Desk**

**Summary- Mirana is a sweet (but sickly) little girl. Tarrant is the Royal Hatter's son and apprentice. What could they possibly have in common? Well, much more than either of them thought.**

**Disclaimer- Okay, so you already know I don't own them, right?**

**Chapter 5: Deal With It**

"**Makes no sense to me- I just have to believe she:  
Flew up to heaven on the wings of angels by the  
Clouds and stars and passed where no one's seen and she:  
Walks with Jesus and her loved one's waiting  
And I know she's smiling saying  
Don't worry about me."—Sissy's Song by Alan Jackson**

**Tarrant, 9 ½ years old**

With everyday that passed, my mother was out of the house for longer periods of time. I sometimes didn't see her for hours at a time. Once, she was gone for a full day, and then it was two days. I cared for my siblings, trying to keep them in check. They behaved for me, thankfully, and were respectful of each other. Each set of twins (excluding Tarrance and I, I suppose) helped each other with their lessons. Tarrance and I still considered ourselves triplets, though others called us twins. It was hard losing Tarra, but she was still the third triplet in our little sibling group. Losing her was like losing a third of me- Tarrance was the only thing keeping me together.

What really killed me was that Nennie, Tori, Typhany, and Trina were beginning to look more and more like Tarra everyday. I fake smiled when I brushed their brown hair or when I dressed them in Tarra's old clothes. We couldn't really get new clothes and Mira said she had looked, but they had no extras. Some days I just wanted to give up and quit. I wanted to run away to the Castle of Crims and just live in peace, become an apprentice, and make a living- like I planned on doing two years ago. Funny how much can change in a short time.

One day, though, my mother did come home. It had been a few months since Tarra's death, and she'd just learned to smile again. When she came walking through that door holding a man's hand, I knew something was up. I searched the fingers on her left hand and found myself staring at a little golden band. A wedding band, to be exact. I smiled to myself. My mother finally found happiness. I realized two things now-

One, I had a father that- hopefully- wouldn't leave me.

And two, we could be- well, almost- a complete family.

**Tarrant, 13 years old**

Years later, we were rebuilding our lives. The other children were getting lessons from the neighbors, Tarrance had returned to his training, and my father was going to make me his apprentice at the castle! I was going to be the next Royal Hatter. I just couldn't wait until we reached the castle- I would finally see Mirana again! I hoped she remembered me…My hair had grown out more and my eyes seemed darker.

**Mirana, 13 years old**

I rushed down the hallways, looking over both my shoulders to make sure no one was there. I stopped smiling for once- it felt good to stop pretending for once. I had to smile or else someone would worry and start asking questions- nothing I want. I had just spent the day with Julia, trying to get her to sit up straight when she drank her tea. It was a tedious task, but someone had to, right? It wasn't like she would just do it instinctively.

"_Mira, must we?"_

"_Yes of course! You don't want to slouch while you're in the presence of important people, do you?"_

"_Yes, yes I do." I giggled and pulled her so that she was sitting in the chair to my right. I sat down at the head of the table and straightened my back as much as much as I could without bending backwards. She slumped even further, making me a bit angry._

"_Julia, please? Just do it!" I exclaimed. It wasn't loud, nor was it menacing. She sipped her tea, slouching over the table with her face in her hand. I clenched my jaw and let my fingers squeeze into a fist under the table cloth. I smiled tightly at her and asked one last time. "Julia, I highly suggest you sit up straight in your chair, dear." I don't know if it was the tone of my voice or the glare I was shooting towards her, but she did it._

I felt so aggravated lately. Ever since…well, ever since Tarra died, honestly. It's been a good 4 years now, but I still couldn't forget. Either way, I had been told that Tarrant was coming to the castle today! He was starting an apprenticeship with his stepfather. It was his lunch hour now and I just saw the Royal Hatter walking to the kitchen alone. That must mean that Tarrant's in the workroom! I ran even faster down the hall, muttering an excuse me every once in a while to anyone I bumped into. Of course, none of them got mad at me.

As I reached the door, I slowed and caught my breath. I closed my eyes and knocked on the door. I felt something odd under my knuckles- it didn't feel like a door. I opened them and saw I hat just hit some man's chest. They must've opened the door just as I knocked. I mumbled a sorry and looked up. I gasped upon seeing the boy- young man- in front of me. It was Tarrant.

"Mira? Is that you?" he asked. I nodded and threw my arms around his shoulders. He lifted me slightly off the floor so that he didn't have to bend over. He squished me to him so tightly I could barely breathe! I couldn't care less, truthfully. We stayed like that for a moment until we heard someone coming. He whipped me into the room then shut and locked the door. He continued holding me to him, like he was afraid I'd leave if he let go. My cheek was near flattened against his chest, so much that my right eye was actually closed! I looked up through my eyelashes and saw him smiling with his eyes closed. He reached down and pulled my hair out of my face and finally looked at me.

I pulled back- just a little- and fixed my dark hair so that it wasn't all over the place like it was. He grinned at me in a funny way that made me believe that I looked worse than I really did. He reached over and took my hand, making a bunch of flutterflies jump around in my stomach. I blushed deeply and tried to think of something to say. I couldn't think of much, so I smiled awkwardly and stood to leave. He grabbed my hand.

"Nunz," was all he whispered.

"Excuse me?" I asked. I had no idea what he was saying.

"It means don't go. So, please don't, at least, not yet. I've barely had two minutes with you." He stood and cupped one of my cheeks with his already calloused fingers. "Ye've nea changed, Mira." I wondered subconsciously about his suddenly adapted accent, but didn't think an extra second about it.

"You'd be surprised; shocked even. You're hair…it's longer, isn't it?" He nodded, noticing I was feeling a little awkward. I took his hand and led him out of the workshop and down to the kitchen. He looked like he hadn't eaten in a while. He kept giving me questioning looks, sort of asking why we were going the way we were. I was trying to avoid as many people as possible. As soon as we entered the kitchen, I made my way over to the cupboards. I found a bowl of fruit and placed it on a table. We sat down across from each other.

I reached and took out an Ananab and an Elppa. They were my personal favorite. I already knew what Tarrant was going to pick, but watched anyways. He lifted out a small Raep and one bunch of Epargs. We ate in silence, me staring at the table and him staring at my bowed head. I did eventually look up at him and really studied his face.

His eyes looked tired- they weren't as bright as I remembered. His hair was slightly longer, but it was darker as well- almost red. The pink and blue eyelids that I knew were now a little black-ish. He smiled when he met my gaze, but it wasn't _his _smile. It looked a little fake. I gave him a tiny smile and went deep into thought, trying to think of possible reasons for his change in personality.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Oh what I would do for a review! Pictures for chapters 1-6 are up on my profile along with a link to the music they are dancing to and the song Mira sings. I own neither of them…Mira's POV is going to start just when Tarrant drops off the dress.**_

**Disclaimer- Enough with this…it's not helping my self confidence! But no, I still do not own the characters…except Julia, the Hightopps (other than Tarrant), and Mirana's parents…maybe.**

"**She doesn't know she beautiful (never crossed her mind). She doesn't know she's beautiful (no she's not that kind). She doesn't know though time and time I told her so."—She Don't Know She's Beautiful, Sammy Kershaw**

**Tarrant POV, 13 years old**

Tonight was Iracebeth's 20th birthday ball! I had been planning on asking Mirana to go with me, but every time I tried to ask, some other boy asked her. Luckily, she always said a polite "No, thank you" and they left her alone. By noon, she'd rejected about a dozen other men- including my own brother. I know he'd done it to bug me, but still. My own _brother. _He knew I wanted to ask Mirana…Oh bother. I just had to keep trying. When ever someone asked her, she glanced in my direction just before she denied an escort. Maybe- just maybe- she wanted me to ask her. I may as well give it a shot.

"M-Mirana?" I stuttered.

"Yes, Tarrant?' she asked, her general mood lightening from what it had been a few moments ago.

"I was…just wondering if you maybe would want to go to Iracebeth's birthday ball tonight…with, well, with me?" I let out a long breath. I'd finally asked her! Her whole face lit up as she realized what I'd asked her. She smiled brightly and started nodding her head quickly.

"Of course! Why, I've been waiting for you to ask me all day! You started to ask, and then you stopped, every ten minutes for hours." I grinned, showing my gapped teeth. She giggled. "Come get me at my room just before the ball is to begin, alright?' she asked. I nodded and headed off in the other direction, muttering under my breath. How much trouble would I be in? I'd just asked royalty to a ball, for heaven's sake. Well, Tarrance had asked Julia. He was a good deal older than her, too. She was only 8, but rather sophisticated for her-

"Tarrant!" shouted someone from behind me. I spun around and saw the 8-year-old in question running towards me. She wrapped her thin arms around my torso, giving me a tight hug. I let out a _whoosh _of air as she knocked the wind out of me. I put my palms on her back, holding her lightly to me. It'd been a while since I've seen her. I lifted her up in such a way that she was sitting on my hip. I smiled at her.

"My how you've grown! How long has it been?"

"It's only been a couple days!" she exclaimed. "I have a job for you, Tarrant." She whispered into my ear like any seven year old would- loud enough for anyone to hear. "I want you to make sissy's dress for the ball tonight. To surprise her." I pulled my head away and smiled slyly. That was the best idea I'd heard all day.

"I'll get right on that. She deserves a new dress. And someone I know," I said vaguely, looking at her, "should help me." She seemed to grow in happiness as she nodded her head faster than I thought possible. I laughed maniacally as I pictured the dress I planned on making. It would be a little formfitting, flowing out a little at the waist. It'd be simple, a solid color with a few details around the torso and chest. I smiled and started walking to the workshop, Julia still fighting to get out of my arms.

About an hour later, Julia had me convinced that I should make a dress for her as well. I put down Mira's dress and picked out a powder blue piece of fabric. She squealed in satisfaction, and I got to work measuring her thin frame. I started sewing it together, and another half hour later, I had finished most of it. It had a few layers of see through fabric for the skirt and the top was sequined. It was "in your face" sequined, but just enough. I cut off the last piece of loose thread and placed it in her arms, waiting for her to go and try it on. She ran off to the corner where I had a make shift changing area and quickly changed into the dress. I heard her giggle as she came out and twirled in a little circle for me to see. I smiled in satisfaction.

"Just perfect!" I exclaimed. "Now do that twirly thing again!" She did so, laughing the whole time. I caught her in my arms as she got a little dizzy. I told her to get out of the dress before it got dirty and sent her off to see Tarrance. She had, for some reason, accepted his invitation to go to the ball with him.

I turned back to Mira's unfinished dress and looked over what was finished. I had- so far- a simple floor length white dress. It was nearly straight; except for where it would meet her hips- there it flowed out the tiniest bit. It was only made of 2 layers of fabric, just thin enough so that she won't over heat. I took a piece of purple satin and tied it around the waist line. Its ends fell down to the near bottom of the dress. I left it there, thinking it looked pretty good as it was. I smirked to myself and looked at the clock. It read 6 pm. I gasped, grabbed the dress, and sprinted down to Mira's room. I hung the dress on the doorknob, knocked heavily, ad ran around the corner.

I heard the door open and her let out a tiny sigh. She'd seen the dress. She hesitated a moment, then re-entered the room. I looked around the corner and saw that she'd taken the dress. I let out a relieved sigh and made my way to my room to get ready. I had a room here because I'd been spending so much time here. I only went home on the weekends. I looked in my wardrobe for something at least half decent to wear.

I ended up with a brown coat, outlined in red. Under it was a rose colored shirt. I pulled on my brown trousers and studied myself in the mirror. It didn't seem quite complete. I looked around the room, and saw my spools of thread. I attached them to a leather belt and draped it over one shoulder so that it crossed my torso. Now I was good to go. One glance at the clock told me I'd better get a move on.

I hurried down the halls and stopped to compose myself about 10 feet away from Mirana's door. I took a couple deep breaths and proceeded to knock on the door. There was no answer. I knocked once more, and the door swung open. I gasped as my eyes widened. And I thought I knew what beautiful was.

**Mirana's POV, 14 years old (remember, they're about a month apart in age)**

_**Right when Tarrant drops off the dress**_

I heard a soft knock at the door and scurrying feet. I gently opened the door and was surprised to find a dress hanging on my doorknob. I picked it up and looked around the empty hallway, trying to find the dress' creator. I found none and sighed, dissolving into my room. I studied the dress and immediately fell in love with it. It was simply white with a purple ribbon going around the waist. I had never thought of myself wearing white_. _**(Irony?) **But I figured, why not? I might as well have tried it on.

Moments later, I had the dress on correctly, the purple strip at just the right tightness. I looked in the mirror and took in a sharp breath. The girl I was seeing in the mirror looked too beautiful to be me. I leaned in closer and examined her pale face. Her right eye was a bit rounder than her left. Her nose seemed the tiniest bit too thin and long for her face. Her eyelids were a little purple from lack of sleep. These few flaws made me feel better about admitting that it was me that I was looking at. I smiled and walked over to my vanity.

I pulled out my mascara that I rarely used and applied a little. I covered my face in a white powder to hide my too-red cheeks. I put white eye shadow over my eyelids to hide the purple pigmentation. At first, I didn't do much to my finger nails, but in the end decided to coat them with a color identical to the ribbon around my waist. I slipped on a pair f white ballet flats and stood in front of the full length mirror once more. All the colors on me- brown, white, and purple- seemed to go well together. I heard a knock on the door and fumbled around, trying to get my hair up quickly. I pulled two strands back behind my head and let part of my hair fall over it in the back. I liked it. Maybe I'd wear it like this more often.

My thoughts were interrupted as another knock- this one more impatient- was heard. I rushed over and tore it open. Tarrant stood at the door, all dressed up in a nice brown suit with a pink shirt and a sash made from spools of thread. He froze in place and his eyes grew wide. He stared at me for quite some time as I looked him over. His hair seemed a bit tamer than usual and his eye color was a pale pink instead of their normal bright green. My mouth fell open the smallest bit as I realized something I should've seen a long time ago. He was handsome. Beautiful even. Of course, someone other than me would see him as ugly or insanely different. He was- in his own way- attractive. He was perfectly imperfect, adorable, fascinating, and madly mesmerizing.

"Ahem," he coughed. I looked up at him and waited. "Maybe we should- ehh- go?" I grinned and took his hand- obviously surprising him- and led him down to the ballroom in which Iracebeth's party would be. We slowed when we came to the entrance. I looped my arm through his and entered the large room. Everyone turned to look at us- including my family, who were crammed into the far corner at the moment. I saw my father's disapproving glare, my mother's encouraging smile, Iracebeth's subtle thumbs up, and even little Julia's huge wave. I smiled at them. My smile fell as I looked at everyone else in the room. Tarrant's stepfather was shaking his head disappointedly but the rest of the party attendants had their eyes on me. I turned to look at Tarrant, a silent question running across my face. We began walking into the crowd and immediately blended in.

"They're staring for, probably, two reasons. One- you're stunningly beautiful. And two- I must be the luckiest guy here, to get to come with you." I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't be beautiful. Pretty, maybe, but not beautiful. I shook off the thought and pulled him to the middle of the floor. We began dancing the waltz for a while. After about 15 minutes, the tone of the music changed. It was a low and agonizingly slow melody. It relaxed me intensely.

Tarrant surprised me by spinning me in such a way that I had my back to him. He held my hands in his just above my shoulders. I turned my head so that he was at the edge of my peripheral vision. I could see a nervous smile playing on his lips as he glanced over my shoulder. I pushed myself back until I had my back to his front. I leaned my head on his shoulder- since he was much taller- and we stepped back in forth in time to the music. I could pick out the cellos and the violin playing the tune. They seemed to flow together so easily that after a while, they sounded like the same instrument. Well, obviously the violin was higher, but still.

We spun around again so that this time his hands rested on my waist and mine were on his shoulder. I looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but love.

Wait a minute.

Did I just say _love_?

I was interrupted when the music was abruptly cut off. I remembered a little too late that I had planned to sing a song for Racy tonight. I gently pulled away from him with a look of regret on my face. I rushed over to my elder sister and gave her a hug. She had no idea what was happening. I whispered in her ear, "Just listen." I climbed up on the stage and hoisted myself up onto the stool they'd set up for me. I earned a few giggles from everyone watching me as I lost my balance but managed to stay on my perch.

"This is for Iracebeth. Happy birthday, sister." The beginning bars began as the guitarist played the first chords.

"Come stop your crying  
It will be all right  
Just take my hand, hold it tight

"I will protect you  
from all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

"For one so small,  
you seem so strong  
My arms will hold you,  
keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

"'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more

"You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always

"Why can't they understand  
the way we feel  
They just don't trust  
what they can't explain  
I know we're different but,  
deep inside us  
We're not that different at all

"And you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more" I let my gaze drop to Iracebeth's face. She looked so happy. I let my voice glide easily into the last verse.

"Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know  
I may not be with you  
But you have to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know

"When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know  
We'll show them together

"'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on,  
Now and forever more

"Oh, you'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be in my heart, always  
Always."

The whole time, I'd kept my eyes trained on Tarrant's face. This was the only thing that kept me from freezing up in front of everyone. When I rested the microphone down on my lap, I waited nervously. Suddenly, the sea of people broke out into applause. I dared to steal a glance at Iracebeth. She was resting her head on Illosovic's shoulder, tears in her eyes, smiling wider than I thought she could. I gently hopped down from the stool and landed lightly on my feet. I stepped down off the stage and made my way over to my elder sister. All the people kept trying to stop and talk to me, but I kept saying, "I'm sorry, I need to go," after just a few moments.

I did eventually get to Iracebeth. I barely had enough time for a simple happy birthday before she had pulled me into her arms tightly. I sighed and smiled contently as she let me go a little too soon. I stood on my toes and placed a little kiss on her cheek. She took my hand lightly and found Julia. She hoisted our little sister up and inconspicuously led us out of the room. I was a bit confused, but followed her anyway.

"You guys are the best, you know that?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Julia. We all laughed at the little girl. I guess she isn't so little anymore.

"I see you've got yourself a potential suitor over there, huh Racy?" I accused, turning the topic to anything but myself. I never really like being the center of attention. She blushed, and that's when I noticed it. Her skin was a shade or too paler than usual. Her hair was the slightest bit more pink than red. I knew it. She was turning into the White Queen.

I would not be Queen.

**Damnnnnn longest chapter everrr! Review, please?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Oye vey! I need to get this story moving along, don't I? R&R pleaseee. Sorry, very short, only a little over 2,000 words…Trying to get past a little bit of writer's block :) Feel free to tell me if you want to see anything happen- I'm open to suggestions whenever you have them! I'm writing this for the readers (obviously) not necessarily my entertainment…all the time ;)**

**Disclaimer- Did you not hear me before? I only own Julia, the Hightopps (other than Tarrant) and maybe even Mirana's parents.**

"**Jealousy is nothing more than fear of abandonment"—Unknown**

**Mirana, 14 years old**

_I would not be Queen. I, Mirana of Crims, would not be Queen of Underland._

These few words were running through my mind for most of the night. It confused me though; I'd never given thought to being Queen. It had never run through my mind once, ever. Why was I suddenly so…so…jealous of Racy? It worried me intensely. I kept thinking of it all night. The one time I wasn't thinking about it was when Tarrant and I were dancing. It amazed me how much I like him. Oh, screw it. I love him! My parents would probably think we were too young to know what love is. And that may be true. But for now, I'm content with just being next to him. We had never gone farther than sitting next to each other, unfortunately. So, in the middle of the ball, I decided to move things along.

We were dancing and I grew a little thirsty. So, I abruptly stopped dancing, causing him to step on my foot. I laughed at this, only because he was blushing so deeply. I gently, cautiously, took his hand and looked up at him with a sly grin on my face. I kept hold of his calloused fingers and walked to the table that held the food and beverages. On the way there, his grip on my hand grew even more tightly. By the time we were at the table, my hand felt a little numb. I couldn't care less- I was holding his hand at last.

I tried to avoid Racy for most of the night. Yes, I was jealous. Yes, I was slightly angry. No, I was not going to take it out on her- she couldn't help it. It was decided who would be Queen before the eldest child's 18th birthday. It was a very gradual change, turning into the White Queen. I won't be surprised if she's only crowned queen in two years. I'm serious- Racy is much smarter than anyone would think. She was pretty, kind, generous, understanding, and rarely had a temper. I guess I was just afraid of losing my sister. We didn't have much to do with each other, but that doesn't mean I don't love her.

**Tarrant Hightopp, 14 years old**

It was my birthday! My 14th birthday at that! I was so excited! I could finally start working as the Royal Hatter! My step-father had decided that I was ready for the responsibility. He loved my 'skills' as he called it. He even wore one of the hats I made! I was actually in the middle of making a little top hat for Nennie when he decided to tell me he was stepping down from his position for me. I actually burst out in a laughing fit. I hadn't believed him.

"_Tarrant, when you turn fourteen next week, you're going to take over as Royal Hatter. I'm retiring from this maddening job." _

That was when I started laughing hysterically. He did eventually convince me that I would be Hatter. I was ecstatic for the whole week and that leads us up to my birthday. I had spent my day at home, celebrating with my family. Tarrance, Tommy, and Tyler had made me a top hat- it was dark green with details all over it. There were three pins sticking out of it and a little piece of paper that said "10/6." I had giggled at seeing this- they remembered how I marked prices on my hats. I had gotten one large present from everyone, something I didn't think they could afford. They gave me a set of golden pins, ones I shouldn't use so that I could keep them forever. I gave Tarrance a new sword since it was his birthday too. I'd found it out in the wood, stuck in a tree. I knew he loved sword fighting.

I thanked them all and headed to the Castle of Crims. I made haste, not wanting to miss out on the rest of today. It was no where near brillig when I could see the Castle, so I was making good time.

Inside, I ran through the halls, trying to avoid as many people as I could and then some. I was looking for Mira, she'd told me to come see her today. I didn't see her in the kitchen working on her potions. She wasn't in her bedroom, so she wasn't sick…well, sicker than usual. She wasn't with Julia, who didn't know where the lass was either. I started to worry- those were the three places she was all the time. I didn't know where else to look. I gave up eventually. I needed to get to work. I'd have to work today some time or another- why not now?

I entered my step-father's- no, _my _workroom and gasped. Mira was sitting in my chair, toying around with one of my latest creations. She looked so concentrated on something. She hadn't even realized I was in the room with her. I walked silently closer so that I could see her face. Her eyes were closed, so she couldn't see me looking at her. Her lips were quivering, like she was mouthing words or talking to herself. Her breathing was slow and deep, as if she was trying to calm herself. She swallowed every once in a while making it seem like her mouth was dry. It had to a have been a good 5 minutes that I was just staring at her. During that time, I really saw what she looked like. And, honestly, I was amazed.

Since her eyes were closed, I got a good look at her eye lids…which were so purple they looked black. She must not have gotten much sleep the night before. I'd need to have a talk with her about that now. I had been meaning to do that for quite some time. She always seemed so tired lately. I moved my eyes a little further down her face. Her cheeks were a pale white, but also the slightest bit red, as if she was blushing. Her dark hair framed her face, making her look paler than she actually was. It spread around her shoulders with ease, making her look like the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. She never did much with her hair- it fell perfectly without her trying. I finally looked at her lips. They were painted a dark red, but it was a natural looking color. Her lips were full, the bottom one just the smallest bit too big. I looked at her eyes again, mesmerized by the color of their lids.

She opened her eyes suddenly. When she saw me standing so close, looking at her eyes, she jumped backwards, nearly knocking the chair backwards onto the floor. I cackled- literally- and she blushed a deep red. It stood out against her pale skin and dark eye lids.

"Don't scare me like that again!" she shouted at me, smiling and still blushing.

"Well, you bluhdy well scarred me too, lassie!" My smile had dropped and I actually got a little angry. "I could nea find ye anaywhere! Ye should stay in one place," I retorted. She growled at me, something she's never done before. She turned her back to me and crossed her arms over her chest. I couldn't help the grin that replaced my frown. My accent retreated as I tried to make amends. "Come now, Mira. I didn't mean it in a bad way. You scared me, is all. Honestly. I was nervous you'd disappeared." She giggled; as she knew what I said was outrageous. She walked closer to me and gave me a hug around the waist.

"Well then, moving on. Happy birthday, Tarrant." I nestled my cheek in her very dark brown hair and whispered a thank you. I didn't want to move, but she pulled away and blushed again. I was tempted to ask why, but figured I would know in due time. "I finally decided what to give you for your birthday, you know. I was debating it for quite some time."

"Oh really? What is it?" I asked excitedly. She shook her head.

"You'll just have to wait. Follow me," she said, taking my hand. I loved it when she did that. I might as well admit it to myself- I love her. But there is no way in Underland that she could ever love me back. I was merely a brother figure in her life, wasn't I? I was yanked from my thoughts as I smelled the sweetest aroma possible. Evidently, we were in the kitchen. I looked around to try and find the delicious scent. I found it to be coming from the cake sitting on the table in the center of the giant room. I immediately looked down at Mira and smiled.

"You're giving me a cake for my birthday? Oh thank you!" I exclaimed. It'd been years since I last had a bite of cake.

"_That _is not your gift. It is for you, though. Go on, try it!" she urged. I found a fork and took a bite of the cake. It was delicious. It was more than delicious. I started eating more and more until I realized half the cake was gone. I stopped abruptly and dropped the fork on the table.

"I- I'm sorry," I whispered. It was my turn to blush now. She laughed at me.

"No need to be, it's yours after all. Maybe you should take the rest home to your family, let them try it." I nodded, still self conscious. I couldn't believe I'd devoured half a cake in front of her. It must've made me look animalistic. I had barely taken time to actually look at the decoration of the cake. Seeing what was left of it, it must've been magnificent. I could see that there had been 2 tiers all together, each decorated with blue icing. The top of the 2nd tier had a simple "14" written in a lighter blue icing. There were stars decorating the sides, each sporting 3 different shades of blue. I loved it.

"Thanks, Mira. Now, what did you decide to give me for my-" I was cut off as the White King himself tore into the room, his face red with anger. I pulled away from Mira, realizing how close I was standing near her, how close our faces had been. He stormed up to us and grabbed me by the arm.

"You get the hell out of here now, Hightopp. I don't want to catch you or your brother flirting around with my daughters again, hear me?" he asked, hissing through his teeth. When he let go of my arm, he had half thrown me to the ground. He had Mira's hand in a tight grip, leading her out of the room. She looked back at me with tears shining in her eyes. And seeing that…seeing her sad…it made me swear to myself this would not be the last time I'd see her- no, it wouldn't. I'd make sure of it.


	8. Chapter 8

_**We are in a predicament! On my poll, we have two choices. On my profile, we have 48 stories. That means we need more people to vote! We have had 4 voters- it's a 50/50 vote right now- not good! Review please :)**_

**Disclaimer- I **_**still **_**own no one except for Hightopps other than Tarrant, Julia, and maybe Mira's parents. Stop making me do this! :(**

"**I'm trying really hard not to cry over you because every tear is just one more reminder that I don't know how to let you go."—Unknown **

**Mirana, 14 years old**

As I unwillingly left the room with my father, I was trying so hard not to cry. Because if I cried, Tarrant would see that I had no hopes of seeing him again. I couldn't do that to him. So I held my tears back as much as I could, trying not to focus on the tightness in my throat. I hated that feeling. When I did cry, and that wasn't often, I would notice the way my throat tightened to a point where it was very painful and then I had to let myself cry. It felt like someone was trying to choke me from the inside, like they were squeezing my tonsils until I agreed to let my tears fall.

My father had left me in my room, telling me not to leave until it was time for supper. I obeyed- mostly because, without Tarrant, outside my room held no interest for me. Julia came to see me, much to my surprise. I had been lying against the headboard on my bed, staring at the wall across from me. She came in quietly, not fully capturing my attention. She clawed her way onto my bed and curled up against my side, sniffing back _her _tears. Father must've talked to her and Tarrance as well. I do wish Julia would 'date' someone of her own age. If it must be a Hightopp, I wish it would be Tyler. Oh well, let her like whoever she likes.

"Mira, are we gonna see Tarrance or Tarrant ever again?' she asked, so innocently.

"Yeah, baby girl. We'll see them again. Eventually," I added in a whisper, sighing to myself. I wrapped one arm around my little sister and fingered her golden locks. She was getting so big. Already, she was 8 years old and nearly my height. I felt like time was passing too quickly- Racy was soon to take the throne, I would become a Lady in Waiting at just 16 years old, Julia was growing taller and more mature everyday, Tarrant and I…we were almost an 'us', not a me with a side of him.

You know what my problem was? I loved him. I loved his name. I loved the way he looked at me. I loved his gorgeous smile. I loved that when I looked at him, I could've been having a terrible day and just seeing him made my whole day brighter. That is my problem.

"Mira, don't cry. You still got me and I still got you. Right?" she asked again. I felt my heart grow heavy at my baby sister's perfect words. I reached down and took her hand in mine as tight as I dared. She was still staring up at me, waiting for an answer. I smiled and kissed her forehead, trying to come up with an answer.

"Right. I still got you," I answered, ignoring the bad grammar. Much time had to have passed because I heard Julia's deep breathing, signaling to me that she'd fallen asleep. I smoother her curls away from her face and watched her sleep. Her face was so peaceful since she was off in Dreamland somewhere. I truly envied her- she could sleep in a way I only wished I could. Being sick all the time screwed up my body- I could never fully shut down and sleep. I was always partly awake and hyper, trying to keep my body from overheating. Overheating was my only bloody problem. My body had gotten warmer over the years, but only by a fraction of a degree. I always wore a thin, lace dress and my hair behind my shoulders. I studied my hair in the mirror sometimes- it appeared to be almost a blonde color now. It was so light brown. It could be that I'd been spending so much time in the sun…

"Mira!" shouted someone down the hall. I recognized it as Racy's voice. She came in and half shouted my name. I covered Julia's ears so she wouldn't wake up.

"Would it kill you to be quiet?" I hissed. She made a face at me, but smiled.

"Mother wants to see you- says it's important." I nodded and gently laid Julia on my bed. She'd be okay here for a while. I glided out of the room and-

Hold on just a moment. I glided? Did I? Did I really? Yes, yes I did. Since when was I graceful? Last time I checked, I could trip over the tiniest divot in the floor. I decided not to dwell on the topic too much and headed down to my mother's informal receiving. I entered with a quiet knock and my mother looked up. She smiled sweetly, summoning me closer. I shut the door behind me and walked until I was behind her. When we were alone- she was my Mom, not the White Queen. Just my Mom.

"Whatcha doin, Mommy?' I asked quietly. I always called her that- it was a habit that I wasn't ready to kick just yet.

"Writing something. You know that boy…he's a Hightopp. What's his name?" I let out a sharp breath. It was still the same day and she expected me to be okay with just talking about him like this?

"Tarrance?" I asked, avoiding saying the name she wanted.

"No, no, his twin." I bit my lip and curled my hand into a fist so tight that my knuckles turned white. Well, they turned whiter. "Mira, love, are you okay?" she asked, honestly concerned.

"Not necessarily. His name's…his name's Tarrant. Tarrant Hightopp." I was pretty much talking to myself, but I knew she heard me. I sat in a chair next to her and tried to block his face from my mind. "What about him?" I asked breathlessly. Thinking of him so near the time we were broken apart made my heart feel empty- like there was this huge hole in my chest where he should be. It sounded cliché, but it was true.

"You miss him, don't you?" I nodded, hiding my face from my own mother. "You should go see him. Your father just left for a while. I know he just separated you two today, but go talk to your little friend. Let him know how you feel." I gently shook my head and stood up.

"Is there a reason you called me in here?" I asked, slightly annoyed. She sighed. Giving up…for now. My mother never gave up one everything. It was a trait she instinctively had; given the fact that she was Queen. She motioned for me to sit down yet again.

"I need to put you through Queen Lessons, separate from your sister. Don't ask why, just please go along with it. I'm going to be teaching you, though, not Iracebeth's teacher. Is that okay with you? I could always do it with Julia instead. We just need a well informed Lady in Waiting. I suppose," she added in a whisper," it's not really a Lady in Waiting we need." I think she didn't want me to hear that, so I tried to forget about it as much as I could.

"Alright. When do we start?" I asked, smiling. I tried to be optimistic, but I really didn't feel right. There was a tingling in the pit of my stomach, telling me that what I was doing was wrong. I shouldn't be pretending to be happy; I shouldn't be bottling up my feelings like this. I ignored it and decided to have tea later to settle my stomach.

"Right now, love. Here's a piece of parchment- I want you to write your first vow. Don't worry; just think of whatever comes to your mind." I took a deep breath, and suddenly realized the emptiness of my stomach. I was rather hungry. For me, there's always jam yesterday and jam tomorrow, but never jam today. That's it!

I wrote in my careful cursive what I just thought. I never really like jam anyway. My mother studied the vow and smiled to herself. She seemed a little smug. I watched curiously as she pulled out her list of vows. She pointed to the first and I read with great interest.

_For me, there will always be jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never any jam today._

I smirked, realizing that my mother must've been just like me when she was younger. I looked at her next vow and gasped.

_I will do whatever it takes to protect those I love._

I looked at her with a million questions running through my mind, but she simply shook her head. "That, my dear daughter, is another story for a different night. Now, moving on, let's have a bit of fun. I want you to try the crown." What was left of my smile fell and my eyes widened as she took the precious piece of jewelry off her head and gave it to me. She looked different without anything on her hair. She didn't look like my mother.

I gently took it and studied it, tipping it backwards and forwards before I finally let it rest on my head. I knew it looked okay because my mother just kept smiling. She got up quickly and grabbed her hand mirror from the back of the room. After being handed that, I looked at myself. The crown was a soft grey, not exactly white. The pints on it were rounded out and there blue jewels in the shape of a circle evenly spaced around the whole crown. I think there was a total of about 5 or 6. In between them were curly pieces of the grey colored material. The rounded points of the crown were studded with blue jewels as well. I looked up from my reflection and saw my mother's face. Her eyes were misted with unshed tears. I was about to ask what was wrong when Racy came into the room.

"Oh Miwana, don't you look beautiful! Mother, may I try on the cwown?" she asked. Her inability to say the letter 'r' made me giggle. How did she say her own name? Wacy? Iwacebeth? They paid me no attention. Mother nodded, and Racy gently pulled the crown from my head. The moment her fingers touched it, the crown changed. It changed immensely.

Suddenly, it was thinner, pointier- like it was a weapon. The points were now studded in red rubies and there were ruby hearts evenly spaced around the crown. My mother gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "It's so pwetty!" shouted my sister. By mother's reaction, something told me we were in trouble when Racy became Queen.

Only now did I notice that her hair was becoming a little redder. Then I remembered- Iracebeth had just been proposed to. She'd yet to answer the man, but we knew she would say yes.

That man was the King of Hearts. He was a bad, bad man. My breathing became shallower, and I shoved myself out of my seat and ran back to my bedroom. One second too late, I remembered Julia was sleeping as I slammed the door and threw myself into a near-by chair, sobbing to myself. I did stop after a few minutes, but I was still shaking. I dug my face into my hands and tried to understand all of what was going on around me. I felt a tiny hand rubbing my back and saw Julia looking at me with great concern. I pulled her into my lap and buried my face in her pretty curls. She fisted my hair and cried herself. I wanted her to stop, I really did. She was crying hard enough for the two of us. It scared me.

Then again, a lot of things scared me.

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**Hadda get this sad-ish chapter out of the way- damn these transition chapters.**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is a little, short chapter from Iracebeth's POV. The suggestion came from Niphuria, so thank her ;) I told you, I'm open to suggestions :D**

**Disclaimer- Same as last time- noooooo! Except Julia, Mira's parents, and all Hightopps other than Tarrant.**

**"A daughter is a mother's mirror image- both in looks and personality."-Unkown**

**White Queen Danielle of Crims, 43 years old**

Deciding to give Mira Queen lessons was not a choice- it was a given. At the rate Iracebeth was going, Mirana would have the crown next year. If Iracebeth were to marry that...that monster, she would not be able to have the crown. She'd need to marry a lord or someone of the court. That man was the King of Hearts, a separate country all to it's own. It was small, but if she only knew what she was getting herself into! I wanted to tell her, oh I really did, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If she seemed to be in love with him, which is true, then so be it.

As I called my youngest daughter into my receiving room, a few thoughts ran through my mind. Mirana- my sweet, young, oblivious daughter- would soon take over Underland. Iracebeth- my eldest, most anger prone daughter- would more than likely be upset about this. And then there was my baby Julia. Who, as of now, was not so much a baby as a young adolescent. She would be caught in the middle of all this, watching her sisters fight it out. I'd looked at the Oraculem before- I knew what it foretold. Underland would eventually fall to ruins under the Red Queen- whomever that may be. It would be either one of my two elder daughters, unfortunately. If I could stop this from happpening, I most certainly would.

"Whatcha doin' Mommy?" asked Mirana as she stood behind me. I smiled- she still called me Mommy, no matter what the circumstances. This young girl was afraid of nothing.

"Writing something. You know that boy…he's a Hightopp. What's his name?" I asked subconciously. She knew exactly who I was speaking of, but she refused to answer with the name I wanted.

"Tarrance?" she asked nervously. I smirked to myslef- she was avoiding the subject at hand.

"No, no, his twin," I stated, pressing for an answer. She needed to talk to someone about this. It's only been a matter of hours, but I could feel the pain radiating off of her. Her hand curled into a fist, making her knuckles look almost transluscent. "Mira, love, are you okay?" I asked with great concern. It wasn't like her to be this...blunt about her feelings.

"Not necessarily," she muttered. "His name's...his name's Tarrant Hightopp. What about him?" So now she was going to be sassy? Alright then, two can play at that game.

"You miss him, don't you?" I asked, not really considering the tone I said it in. She had plopped down in a chair. She nodded at me and buried her face in her hands, dodging my gaze. "You should go see him. Your father just left for a while. I know he just separated you two today, but go talk to your little friend. Let him know how you feel," I offered. I was surprised as she refused and stood as if she would leave.

"Is there a reason you called me in here?" she asked. I could literally hear the annoyance slipping through her teeth. I sighed, dropping the matter. No need to upset her.

"I need to put you through Queen Lessons, separate from your sister. Don't ask why, just please go along with it. I'm going to be teaching you, though, not Iracebeth's teacher. Is that okay with you? I could always do it with Julia instead. We just need a well informed Lady in Waiting." I lied. "I suppose," I added, "It's not really a Lady in Waiting we need."

"Alright. When do we start?" she asked. I smiled and looked her in the eyes.

"Right now, love. Here's a piece of parchment- I want you to write your first vow. Don't worry; just think of whatever comes to your mind." I remember my first vow. It was a silly one- my mother could hardly believe it! As I watched her write in careful cursive, I smirked. She was writing the same that I had. When I was writing my first vow, I had been rather hungry- so I wrote that there was never any jam for me! And there, on the parchment, lie the words:

_For Me, there will always be jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today._

I reached into my desk and pulled out my list of vows. Sure enough, the firs vow read the same as hers. I pointed it out to her, letting her read it. She did and smiled, then moved on to the next one. I saw her features change and knew that I shouldn't have let her get that far. She looked at me, confused. I pulled the list away and put it away. I gently said, "That, my dear daughter, is another story for a different night. Now, moving on, let's have a bit of fun. I want you to try on the crown," I whispered. I smiled brightly and handed it over to her. I felt odd without the weight of it on my white hair.

Looking at her wearing the crown made me smile even more. She was absolutely beautiful! It was just the slightest bit too large, but she was still young. I stood up and grabbed my mirror, handing it to her. She grinned at her reflection, but jumped slightly as Iracebeth burst into the room.

"Oh, Miwana, don't you look beautiful! Mother, may I try on the cwown?" I nodded gravely and watched as Mira handed the crown over to her older sister. The moment Racy touched it, it changed- something I hadn't seen since...since my very own sister. I gasped, seeing the crown morph. "It's so pwetty!" she exclaimed. I frowned, studying the crown on her head. It was pointy and red, rubies lining the points.

_"Mother, why did the crown change?" I asked quietly. I had never been one to talk to my mother, though she was exactly like myself. My sister, Hannah, had just put the crown over her dark black hair. It turned into a very sharp pointed, golden crown. It was studded with red rubies and there were red hearts around it. It scared me a bit, seeing it like this. On me, it had been a very pretty grey-white color with blue stones outlining it._

_"Hannah of Marmoreal, put that crown down this instant!" shouted my mother. I flinched, not used to hearing her yell. Hannah removed the crown and put it back on my mother's desk, then left the room in shame._

_"Danielle, honey, I'm sorry. It's just that- when a crown looks like that- it means very bad things. Cruelty, death, blood, evil- all of that and more. If Hannah were to become Queen, sweetheart, Underland would fall to pieces- literally." I only nodded, but I understand far too well. I did my research later and found out that a crown like that also meant it belonged to the Red Queen of Hearts- an evil woman that would kill everyone in sight.__

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**Told you it was short :D Please review. There's an explanation of the whole Hannah and Danielle of Marmoreal in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't think I spent enough time on Tarrant, Tarra, and Mirana's childhood, so here are some memories in this short, extra chapter :) I actually did a drawing like the one Tarra did in this chapter.**

**And just a reminder- if you haven't caught it yet- Tarrant doesn't quite have **_**his **_**hat yet…He has a hat, not his hat ;) Review! I hope to add one more chapter by the end of tonight!**

_**Tarrant Hightopp, 14 years old**_

I walked through my house slowly, letting the memories flood my mind. Today was a good day, a day when I could remember my times with Mira and Tarra and not burst into tears, earning funny looks from Nennie or Tyler. So, as I walked down the halls and passed Tarra's room, I smiled. And I thought back to, probably, my first tea party.

_Tarrant, 5 years old_

"_Tarrant! Come on! Daddy wants to show us som'fin!" shouted my sister, running outside. I grinned and followed her quickly, more excited than I've ever been. Sure enough, sitting on our front lawn was a long table covered in cups and plates and desserts and napkins- everything imaginable. _

_Daddy was sitting at the head of the table, his red hair flying everywhere in the wind. He had a huge smile on his face as he gestured for us to sit down. I jumped up onto the chair, seeing that everyone had joined us- Tarrance, Trina, Trent, Tori, and Tommy. Mommy sat next to Daddy, sipping on tea. I wasn't surprised to see the younger kids just drinking milk; they were far too young to have tea. However, I had a tiny cup in front of me with the smallest amount of tea in it. I picked it up and tasted it, immediately loving it. I gulped the rest of it down and searched for more. I found some, and poured just a little bit. I drank that too and sat back. My tummy was full and warm with my drink. I picked up a cookie that Tarra had placed on my plate and began sucking on it instead of biting into it. My teeth were loose and it hurt to bite things._

_**End Memory 1**_

I walked a little farther into Tarra's room, taking a deep breath as I saw her possessions. I ran my hand over the tiny drawing she had been working on before she died.

_Tarrant, 9 years old_

"_What're you working on, Tarra?" I asked, studying the drawing she was doing. It showed her, me, and Mira standing in a line backwards, holding hands behind our backs. Her quill swooped over the parchment. The lines she made were so perfect, so confident, and so straight. She was a brilliant Artist. She got the small curl of Mira's hair just right, my height was exact, and her own body was so close to the real Tarra._

"_A birthday present. It's for Mira, you know. I can't wait to give it to her!" she exclaimed happily. I left, leaving her to her wonderful work._

_**End Memory 2**_

I slowly left Tarra's room, reminding myself to give that picture to Mirana soon. I wandered around until I came to my room, remembering the first time I'd brought Mirana here.

_Tarrant Hightopp, 8 years old_

"_Are you sure we're going the right way? This is taking an awfully long time," she commented, stumbling behind me. We reached my house quite a while later. She tried to stop and talk to all the children individually, but they were in no mood to talk. They were still a bit sad over Father's death._

"_Come on! Don't worry about everyone else- they can meet you later!" I shouted, dragging my friend through the door. We stumbled up the stairs and into my bedroom. I slammed the door shut and turned around, seeing her start to go through my things. I should've felt like my privacy was violated, but I wasn't. She found my draw of Things, and slowly picked through them. When she picked up some Things, I saw her smile. Other Things made her frown. Honestly, I just wanted to see her Happy._

"_What's this?" she asked, holding up a little sketch I'd done. I smirked and snatched it rudely out of her hands. It was something I was planning on making her._

_**End Memory 3**_

And I've yet to finish. I sighed and walked to my Draw of Things and picked up the paper. I stuffed it into my pocket, making a mental note to finish it before her 16th birthday- her most important of them all. I walked downstairs and into the kitchen to fix myself a pot of tea.

**K, so I know that was really short but I'm super busy and I just wanted to get that up here! During the holidays, updates are going to be few and far in between unfortunately. Be patient! Happy Holidays everyone!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Review please :) I've been working on this one chapter for God knows how long…I can't believe the writer's block I've been having lately…**_

**Disclaimer- Let me check…nope, still don't own anyone except Julia, all Hightopps other than Tarrant, and even Mira's parents.**

"**Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."—George Santayana**

**Mirana, 14 years old**

Loneliness was not something that I was accustomed to. I normally had Julia or Tarrant by my side constantly. Now, all I had was either I myself for company or my mother, considering I had to go through those Queen Lessons. I spent my days wandering the halls and trying to convince my parents to let me travel where I could get my mind off things. So far, they'd yet to cave in. I wanted to go to the Castle of Marmoreal. My parents thought I was crazy! All that was left in Marmoreal was a run down, crumbling castle in the middle of a large meadow. The castle had belonged to my great-grandmother. I had done my research and learned my fair share of history. Absolem and Chessur helped me- they were as old as Underland itself. Still, I barely knew half of it.

My great-grandmother had been one of the first five original Queens of Underland. Before that, Underland was completely run by Kings and their sons. One of the Kings- King Jonathan- had only been blessed with a daughter. He wasn't happy about it, but he passed her the throne anyway. That queen was Queen Lonna- the very first Queen Underland had ever layed eyes on. She was beautiful, of course- all of royalty was. It was a gene that was passed from each ruler to the next, unfortunately. The Queens were often…used. Not only their husbands, but the court as well. Queen Lonna had one daughter named Deborah. She became Queen and passed the throne to her only daughter just as her mother had. She was named Queen Alyssa. She, as well, had a daughter who she named Lonna (after the original Queen). Lonna had one daughter, just as her ancestors did, and this time, it was my great-grandmother. She was crowned the White Queen Mirana. I was named after her, if it wasn't noticeable. She had had Marmoreal built in shiny white marble, accented with blue in just the right points. There had once been a fountain that sat in the middle of a huge maze. There were cherry Trees lining the path that led up to the large grey entrance and towers that were higher than Anything in Underland. Chess pieces were also scattered around the grounds, symbolizing her love for the game. I had, along with my name, inherited that obsession. Mother taught it to me when I was much younger but I forgot. I did intend on learning it again.

Well, Queen Mirana of Marmoreal had one daughter, my grandmother, Julianna. When she became Queen, she gave birth to my mother- Danielle- and her sister- Hannah. This was a historical happening in Underland. The birth rate for Underland's royalty is extremely low. To have two children- and both daughters at that- baffled the habitants of Underland. They rivaled each other, competing for the crown. The two girls couldn't have been more different. Even though Mother was younger, she gained the throne. By the time she was about 30 years old, she'd given birth to Iracebeth, me, and Julia. This, too, excited the population of Underland. No one had ever seen such a high birth rate in royalty.

That was the good part of Underland's history. There had been a Dark Period, where Auntie Hannah had stolen the crown from Mother. Of course, Good overcame Evil and Mother got the crown back. But there was a terrible war. All this time, my mother was only 23 years old. She was very young and this was quite an accomplishment. Father had been the Champion of Underland at the time and defeated the beast that Auntie Hannah had used in Battle. Mother married him because it was her duty. After- a year or two later- Iracebeth was born. In another 6 years, I was born; in yet another 6 years, Julia was born. I had been able to name Julia, just as Racy named me, and I chose the name because it was what I used to call Grandmother Julianna. I could never pronounce her full name, so I called her Grandma Julia. But, before Julia of Crims was born, Grandma Julia had passed.

But before that, my parents had to put up with each other and learned to love one another's personalities- though they were complete opposites. They had no choice in whether or not they married each other. Mother moved to Crims to be with Father, leaving Marmoreal to crumble under the fierce power of the elements. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened, had Mother married the man she loved instead. She said he was the most handsome man in all of Underland, but he was merely a Hatter and she was a princess. This, of course, made me lose faith in the fact that I could ever truly love Tarrant. But who's to say he would even consider marrying _me_?

I used to travel to Marmoreal with Mother all the time to pick through the rubble. Sometimes, we found an artifact. I actually helped her find the Oraculem. Marmoreal was so a place that was much fun. Going there calmed me. It was as if my female ancestors were still there, soothing me. I felt a pull whenever I was there, begging me to stay and look around in the ruins. I was so very curious- I wanted to explore and find something that may have been long lost in war or a flood again. Maybe it was simply a little creature, waiting to be rescued by anyone who happened to be passing by. I decided to find out. I was going there for the day- no one could stop me. Well, of course, I could stop me, but that was not going to happen.

"Mirana of Crims! Where are you?" shouted a tiny voice from down the hall. I smiled to myself and braced myself for what I knew was coming. This was the only _other_ thing that could stop me. Julia came sprinting down the hall straight at me. I bent my knees a bit and opened my arms, letting out an "oof!" as she jumped into me a bit too hard. I coughed a minute and held her there, laughing as she whisper-yelled into my ear.

"Momma wants to see you!" she said excitedly. I laughed gently and set her feet on the ground. I took a deep breath, trying not to show just how exhausted I was. I took her hand and walked down to Mother's receiving room for the fifth time this week. I was getting bored of these lessons.

"Mira, why is Racy so happy today?" asked the little girl at my side, who wasn't so little anymore. I could almost feel my heart stop as I realized what must've happened. She was going to marry the King of Hearts. I would be Queen. More importantly, what would happen to Racy?

"I don't know," I lied, "Maybe she found something special." Julia left the topic there, but I had to have a word with Mother about this. "Tell Mother I need a moment- I'll meet her soon enough today. No later than Brillig." I sent the young girl off and began walking to Iracebeth's room. I felt a little fatigued, but I had important things to do.

"Racy?" I shouted, knocking on her door. She opened it and smiled, taking me in a small hug. We didn't see each other often anymore. "I need to talk to you," I said frantically, pushing her inside the room. I knew she was letting me- I couldn't have done it otherwise.

"What is it? You look concerned," she mused, walking over to her vanity. She began curling her hair, as it had gone flat.

"I need you to tell me- are you marrying the King of Hearts?" She stopped and dropped the curlers on the table-like thing in front of her.

"Yes."

"Could you at least wait a few years? You don't even have to crown yet," I added, knowing that she'd never have the crown.

"This is not your choice."

"But Racy! Just a few years? I know you don't want to marry him- I've seen the hate in your eyes when you look at him! You love Illosovic Stayne, don't you? Wait for him! I heard him talking Tarrant a few months ago about proposing to you. Please, Racy?" By this time, I at her side, holding onto her arm- partly to emphasize my point, partly to hold up my weight.

"Fine. I'll tell him I need a while to think about it," she muttered, a dreamy look in her eye as she thought about Illosovic. I sighed in relief and went to sit on her bed. I began playing with a loose strand of hair and noticed it's color.

"Racy- why is my hair this odd color?" It was dark brown, but the underside of it- the part you couldn't normally see- was nearly blonde. My sister came over and played with it for a moment, then dropped it.

"I don't know. Now, go, Mother was wanting you, I heard." I grimaced and hopped down off the bed, making my way to my next Queen Lesson. Bloody things. As I walked down the hall, I had to take slow, deep breaths.

_I should have stayed in bed today, _I thought. By the time I reached my mother's receiving room, I could feel my leg muscles burning with over use and my head was beginning to spin. All over, I felt terrible.

"Hello, Mirana," my mother greeted me, as I entered the room. I smiled weakly and sat down in a chair, grateful for a chance to relax.

"Now, I won't need you for too long today, dear. I just need you to make a decision. You need to choose three courses to take. You've already started with Potions, so you should probably stay with that. Here's a list of choices," she said, handing me the list.

_**Courses... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Instructor**_

**_-Crafting... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Art and Craft_**

**_-Dominion of the Living Things... ... ... ...Life_**

**_-Dominion of the Dead... ... ... ... ... ... ...Death_**

**_-Healing... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Medicine_**

**_-Potions... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Queen Danielle_**

**_-Music... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Melody and Harmony_**

**_-Public Speaking... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Voice and Confidence_**

And it ended there. It was quite a variety of choices, but I knew one of which I would definitely take.

"Healing," I said, not even thinking about it.

"And the other?"

"What is Racy taking?" I asked.

"Crafting, Dominion of the Living Things, and Music." I should've known. I was not musical or crafty in anyway, nor did I need practice in Public Speaking.

"May as well take Dominion of the Dead," I whispered, grimacing. I despised Death, no matter how kind he truly was. He was just stuck with a terrible job.

"Alright. I'll try and speak with Death and Medicine- they'll probably have no problem teaching you. I'll continue your Potions training myself, though, alright?" I nodded. "You may go." I began to stand up, but immediately felt the effects of my efforts and fell back into the chair. "Mira, love, are you alright?"

"Yeah," I choked out. I stood again and walked out the door, holding onto the walls as I made my way to my bedroom. About halfway there, I stumbled and leaned against one of the walls. I slid down, drawing my knees up to my chest. I leaned my head down and waited for the dizziness to pass. I looked up slowly as I began to feel better, and gasped. There, right in front of my face, was a pair of very bright, very concerned green eyes.

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**I wrote this over twice- the first time was absolutely terrible :P So here goes it!**_

_**Disclaimer- I only own Julia, Mira's parents, and all Hightopps other than Tarrant.**_

"**Mere bashfulness without merit is awkwardness."—Joseph Addison**

**Tarrant, 15 years old**

Walking down the hallways, I found that my mind was wondering as aimlessly as my feet were. One second, I was thinking about Mira and Julia, then the next, I was thinking about Nennie and the other kids. I got more nervous when I couldn't stay on one subject for longer than thirty seconds. It scared me, in all honesty. By the time I found myself in the main corridor, I was flashing from topic to topic with no more than 5 seconds spent on each. They were going faster and faster as I stumbled into a tiny hallway off to side. I could swear my head itself was spinning!

I went to press my fingers to my temples and found that my head was indeed spinning. I tried to stay calm, but for heaven's sakes- my head was _spinning_! After a few minutes of pulling at my long hair, my head slowed to a stop- in the right direction, thankfully- and I noticed a slumped over figure leaning against the wall. I couldn't help but grow a bit worried…or concerned. One or the other. I was pretty sure it was human, but I was cautious as I drew closer. It was dark in this particular hall and I could be seeing things…

It was a human, much to my relief. I squatted in front of it and leaned in. I was hit by a very familiar scent- it certainly _smelled_ like Mirana. I sat back on my bum. It _looked _like Mirana. But…it didn't quite _sound _like Mirana. The human in front of me was breathing heavily, as if dry heaving. Mirana…she didn't usually vomit or anything…right? I leaned closer once more and thought. So, from this, at least I could make a question.

So was this person Mirana or not?

And, suddenly, my question was answered. The person's head flew up and their eyes opened wide. It was, in fact, Mirana. This didn't ease my concern in the least. If anything, it made it worse! One look from her and I knew she wasn't too feeling too well. Though, I probably should've figured that out…a while ago. I sat back once more and began laughing hysterically at myself. How could I have missed that she wasn't feeling good? It should've registered in my brain, at the least, that she was tired.

"Tar-Tarrant?" she stuttered. I stopped as suddenly as I began and shook my head to clear all my previous thoughts.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. I turned my attention back to her, hoping my absent-minded-ness didn't last too much longer. "Are you…alright? I mean, you're obviously not alright. I just…can you stand up?" I said, stumbling over every word I tried to pronounce. And, despite her obvious state of health, she cracked a smile.

"Not really- that's sort of why I'm sitting here. Could you…you know…help me up?" That's when I noticed I was staring at her and I probably had been for a rather inappropriate length of time.

"Uh, yeah." I stood and squatted once more, tucking my hands un her arms. It was awkward, though it shouldn't have been. We were just friends, right? Why would this be weird? I found myself asking these question over and over again as my heart raced in my chest at the feel of her body against mine. I struggled to pick her up off the ground, but when I finally got her up, I quickly noticed she couldn't even hold up the slightest amount of weight. And so, my face burning red with embarrassment, I picked her up and held her in my arms.

"Oh!" she shouted in surprise. "Well then. I suppose this is more efficient," she said, her face certainly more red than my own. I giggled, this time retaining my laughs. I started off in the direction of her room and began to feel the effects of carrying her. The last time I'd carried anyone like this was probably with Nennie, but she was younger than Mira and- despite Mirana's light weight- even lighter still. Something told me I need to start working on getting some muscle. This was honestly pathetic!

"Umm…Tarrant? We're at my room," she said. I looked around us and let out a nervous laugh. She was right. That hidden hallway must've been closer to the room than I thought. I shifted her weight so that I was holding her in one arm and used the other to get the door open. She had her arms in wrapped around my neck so tightly that I was sure she was holding herself up instead of me holding her. I found myself enjoying having her close, but I knew it'd be even more awkward if I held her longer than necessary. So, choking as I was, I walked into her room and quickly went to her bed, laying her down as softly as I could. The minute her spine hit the bed, she groaned. I could tell she was tired- either from lack of sleep or from being as sick as she was. When she was completely on her own laying down, she closed her eyes and sighed, letting her body fall limp.

"Thanks," she murmured, re-opening her eyes, "I needed to be here." I smiled politely, pulled up a chair to sit on, and just stared at her. I guess I was trying to telepathically tell her that she needed to just, you know, sleep. She furrowed her brow and stared back at me. After a few moments, she pulled her blankets around her, turned on her side so that she was facing me, and promptly fell into a deep sleep. I let out the breath I'd been holding and sat back in the chair, utterly exhausted myself. How could a young woman that thin feel so heavy to me? Maybe if I ran around our yard with Nennie or Typhany on my back, I could gain some muscle.

"What? You! How? Dad! When? Answer!" I whipped my head around and stared at the person in the doorway, my heart pounding in my ears. When I saw who it was, I sighed in relief. It was just Julia. She would never tell the king I was in his daughters room. He would kill me! Especially seeing as Mira was asleep.

"Yes, well…you see, she…she fell, I guess, in the hallway and she was sitting against the wall and I walked by and I picked her up and I brought her here and now you're here and you're not going to tell you father are you?" I stammered.

"Of course not," she said softly, coming to stand next to me. "Is she sick again, Tarrant?" she asked, this time sounding like a little child, anxious about the health of her dear sibling. Which, obviously, she was.

"Yeah. I wonder what's wrong this time. She's hot, like she has a fever," I said after placing a hand on her forehead. "And her skin looks a bit paler than usual. When she was in the hall, she looked about ready to throw up." The young girl grimaced and moved to sit on the edge of her sister's bed, gently stroking her face and hair. We sat in silence for a while, until Julia broke it.

"You like her?" she asked, ignoring all the grammar etiquette she ever learned. Personally, I was surprised by the question and my mind- once again- went running in a million directions. I stopped it this time, afraid of the head spinning that had happened not 20 minutes ago.

"What do ye mean?" I replied, not bothering to hold back my accent. I had noticed it came only when I was feeling strongly about something, be it in a good way or in a bad way. I think I remember it happening to my father back when we were younger, but I wasn't sure…

"I mean exactly what I said. Or, even, I said what I meant. It's the same thing, you know. Now, do you- Tarrant Hightopp- like my sister- Mirana of Crims. It is honestly a very simple question, yes or no answer-"

"Aye."

"Excuse me?"

"Aye. I like yer sister. Now stop buggin' meh about it!" I huffed and crossed my arms, throwing my back into the back of my chair. I glared at her for a moment, but smiled when she began to laugh. I wasn't sure whether she was laughing at my reaction or my answer to her question, but it made me happy anyway. I loved making Julia happy- it made my day. She stood, shaking her head in disbelief, and left the room without a word. I bit back a giggle as she tripped over, well, nothing. She turned and glared, leaving me alone.

I checked back over my shoulder until the door was shut. I scooted the chair as close as I could get it to the bed and leaned over so I could whisper in the sleeping girl's ear. "I want you. I need you. I…love you. But how could you ever feel the same about me?" I pulled back a bit and kissed her forehead, praying she'd stay asleep. I then, like Julia, left the room without a word.

"What are you thinking!" hissed someone next to me. I swear, I nearly had a heart attack! All these people were scaring me today!

"Is yer bluhdy mission to scar' teh livin' daylights outta meh today?" I turned to find my brother standing behind me. I threw my hands in the air and walked down the hall towards the workshop. He, predictably, followed.

"Wait, wait. I didn't mean to anger you. Tarrant, stop! I need to talk to you. Seriously, I don't want to yell at you or anything. It's not worth it." I sighed and pulled him into the workshop, slightly annoyed.

"Talk," I said, leaning against the wall, crossing my arms.

"I kissed her!" he exclaimed, obviously happy. My gaze hardened as I stared him in the eye.

"Ahnd who did ye kiss?" He cowered backward at my glare and stuttered out the name.

"Julia."

**Haha, shouldn't have said that, huh Tarrance? Alright, now, I need to ask you guys a favor. Tell me (review or PM) your favorite names- one male, one female. Please and thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**FORGIVE ME! My computer deleted this chapter without my permission ;)**

**Moving on, I found some pretty good inspiration for when these two oblivious love-birds are older…but god dammit, this is moving so slow :P But still, I'd rather move slow and get everything in there instead of getting to the good part and missing a whole crap-load of stuff.**

**Enjoy :) I will, from now on, leave out the disclaimer…it's tedious and unnecessary. You guys know that I only own my OCs, right?**

**As to Jeannie Black about the chapters (and I'm sure other's are wondering) I'm aiming at anywhere above 20 or 30 chapters…I'm not exactly positive xD I never write out a plan or an outline for these things. Everything you know is what I know ;)**

"_**Don't be surprised if I'm not here tomorrow…"**_

_**Mira, 14 years old **__**(Heyyy! Tarrant wasn't supposed to be 15 in the last chapter…my bad…)**_

As I fell asleep for the first time in days, I dreamt. I dreamt of the boy sitting just a foot away from me, maybe closer. I dreamt of telling him that I liked him- no, loved him. I dreamt of us living our life together. But as I dreamt, I felt someone sit down on the edge of my bed. It was Julia. I knew because she smelled of blue. Blue…blue smelled like rain, like a lake, like blueberries. Blue was a sweet smell, and blue was one of my favorite smells. So as Julia sat on my bed, I couldn't help but inhale deeply when her hand stroked my face. I shifted my knee into her side a little so that she knew I was awake. She pressed her thumb into my cheek very gently and I knew that she understood.

What I didn't expect was what she asked Tarrant next.

"You like her?" she asked, all calm and innocent. I stiffened the slightest bit, hoping Tarrant wouldn't notice. Why would she ask that? Did she know that I liked him? And, more importantly, did he like me? I was hoping he would say yes, but at the same time…I was hoping he just wouldn't answer.

"What do ye mean?" asked Tarrant. I wanted to laugh- he knew exactly what she meant; he just wouldn't admit that he knew.

"I mean exactly what I said. Or, even, I said what I meant. It's the same thing, you know. Now, do you- Tarrant Hightopp- like my sister- Mirana of Crims. It is honestly a very simple question, yes or no answer-"

"Aye."

"Excuse me?"

"Aye. I like yer sister. Now stop buggin' meh about it!" I wanted to scream out in joy at his answer! Of course, that would blow my cover. So what did I do? I reached under the covers and pinched my arm to keep quiet. But the whole time, I was biting the insides of my cheeks, trying not to smile. The next hurdle was to tell him that I liked him as well.

When I woke up the next day, I felt a million times better. That was good, too, considering my lessons were starting in about an hour. I rolled out of bed, ignoring the slight headache that was still there. I trudged towards my bathroom, ran a comb through my hair, and ran a bath. As I undressed, I tried to avoid looking in the mirror. I hated how I was so thin that you could nearly count my ribs. I hated how my hair fell limp against my shoulders and how my arms were so tiny that you could see the bone of my elbow nearly poking out of the skin.

When I stepped into the bath, I let myself sink to the bottom of the 2 foot deep tub. As I slowly ran out of oxygen, a scary thought ran through my mind.

_Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if I just stopped breathing- right here, right now?_

I waited for as long as I could, but I broke through the surface and gasped for air. I smoothed my hair behind my head and pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. My teeth started chattering, but the water was hot- so hot that my pale skin was turning red. I let the tears fall freely from my eyes as I tried desperately to rid myself of the idea. I kept gasping for air because I couldn't seem to keep a straight breathing pattern for the time being. Before I could even wash myself, I stood and grabbed a towel, wrapping myself tightly in its fluffy warmth.

I stepped out of the still-filled tub and looked in the mirror. I almost freaked out- my hair was white, my lips dark red, my eyebrows black, my body tall and skinny- paler than normal. My face was long and thin compared to the round one I was used to seeing. My eyes were large and brown, but much lighter than usual. My breath came in short gasps as it had in the bathtub. I moved slowly, watching myself in the mirror, as I tried to find my hair brush. I ran it through my hair and pulled it in front of my face so I could see it.

It was brown.

As I stepped out into the hallway, still not too sure about my hair color, I grew more and more worried. How would these lessons go? To keep my mind off of it, I thought of my six impossible things for the day. I said them aloud, seeing as no one was around me.

"One- I can enjoy these lessons today. Two- my hair is brown and white. Three- Iracebeth is waiting for Stayne to propose. Four- I can get over Tarra's death. Five- I can figure out how to play that instrument. Six…six…" I repeated, over and over again. "Oh well, I'll come up with it later, I suppose," I said, cheerfully. As I passed Julia in the hall, I noticed that she was ecstatic. I did a double-take as she walked right past me, smiling at her obvious joy. I could only begin to imagine what she was thinking right now.

Thinking about that, my thoughts drifted to Tarrant. My arms rose so that my hands rested just above my shoulders without my thinking about it. My eyes closed and I began to hum that slow song, the one from what seemed like so long ago. As I hummed and remembered, I started dancing through the halls, all by myself, with no one to accompany me. I was one person dancing for two, sometimes taking on Tarrant's position, and then switching back to my own. I couldn't bring myself to care when people started staring- I was too busy enjoying myself. It was when someone started clapping that I stopped and opened my eyes.

"Very nice! Now, would you care to come with me and start your lessons, young lady?" asked my mother. I felt a blush darken my face as I ducked my head and followed her; all thoughts from the bathtub had vanished.

**I'm sorry, but I have to end this chapter here…I'm taking another break from writing, this one probably much longer than the last…I'm sorry :( It's just…really serious right now…I don't have the right mind-set to continue writing for the time being.**

**Sorry again…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Alright, so I'm working to find time to write these stories…It's difficult, though, with everything that's going on. Don't worry; I'm getting better; slowly but surely….very slowly ;)**

**Oh, and one more thing- I love you guys :) Even when I'm gone, there are ton of readers that visit my stories :D You are all friggin' amazing!**

**Thank you! :)**

**This chapter starts just after Julia leaves Mirana's room. I know, I know….I'm still dwelling on that one part…but so much happens then!**

"_**It's time to sell my things: and pack my bags, never look back, run a parallel line with the rail road tracks…and make my getaway…"**_

**Julia of Crims, 9 years old**

After walking out Mirana's room with such shocking news, I went straight to my room and jumped onto my bed. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot. Tarrant loved her! I mean, it wasn't as if I never knew that, but he'd finally admitted to it! Now, I just had to get Tarrance to admit who he fancies.

I certainly liked Tarrance Hightopp and I'd admit it to him if he'd tell me first. I was only 9, but I was so much older than that inside! I had been left to my own devices for quite some time now and I knew more than Racy did about so much! I was more mature, as well. Where Racy got angry and Mirana upset, I could handle most any situation. I was just so underestimated.

Whenever the family was invited to somewhere, which wasn't very often, I was the one left home with Mirana when she was sick. My parents told me to keep her company and the nurses would handle everything. In truth, I hated the way the nurses treated her. I long ago told them to leave it to me. I was sure that Mirana, too, like the arrangement as well.

I loved Mirana, I really did, but I lived in her shadow. She was perfect. She was beautiful- no, drop dead gorgeous. She was everything that I wasn't. Her hair was dark brown on top, light brown under that. My blonde was beginning to turn blue! It was a slight green shade now, and I was already ugly as it was. My birthdays passed unnoticed, except for a few more hugs than usual from Mira and maybe a cupcake. My birthday was today, actually. But Mira was sick.

Still, Momma used to say, "Of three sisters, one is always the dancer, the next the watcher, and the third, the director. It needn't matter in which order they were born, it is simply that way." I always considered myself the watcher. I was the one that hung back. Racy was definitely the director- shouting orders at me like she was my mother. And Mirana…she was the dancer. The one that everyone paid attention to, no matter how hard she tried to give the attention to me or Racy.

"Julia, love, are you in here?" I heard someone ask as they knocked on my door. I got off my bed and ran to open the door, recognizing the voice immediately. I swung open the door and squealed like the little girl I was when Tarrance picked me up off my feet. He hugged me tight and dropped me to the ground.

"Where've you been? I missed you," I whined, hugging him again. I couldn't help it- no matter how much older he was, I would still like him. It was no better than Racy dating Illosovic, now was it?

"I was busy…planning," he admitted. I stepped back and looked at him, placing my hands on my hips.

"How do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing in my attempt to understand. He picked me up again and sat me in a near-by chair as he also sat in one. I was really confused now.

"Julia, I don't know if you're too young to really understand what I mean by this, but I love you. I have loved you since I actually met you. Now, if you do get it," which I did, "then you must also understand that if we were to have a relationship, it would certainly not make your father happy. I…I was wondering if, maybe, you might, possibly," he took a deep breath, "runaway with me." He dropped his eyes to the floor as my own eyes widened.

Runaway with him? I had barely heard anything after "I love you!" Of course I'd go with him! But…what about Mirana? Wouldn't she be upset? And surely Tarrant and the rest of the other Hightopps would miss Tarrance. They had already lost so many family members already…

"I…I understand. Still, wouldn't everyone notice that we're gone? Hasn't your family suffered enough losses? Tarrance, it's only been 6 years, yet you've lost your father and Tarra!" My voice softened when he looked up at me with a sad expression. "Imagine all the pain we'd cause. We would never be able to come back. My father would have you killed and your family would never forgive me! They would probably blame Mirana who would, again, be banned from seeing Tarrant. Think about it agai-"

I was cut off as he kissed me: soft and quick, nothing that would be considered bad. And still, I loved it so much.

"I love you. Please…come with me." I smiled a little, stood to hug him, and simply nodded my head. "Oh, and Julia? Happy birthday. I can't see you tomorrow," he said, kissing my forehead and leaving the room.

* * *

The next day was terrible. I had to walk around with this terrible secret haunting me. I had to look at Mirana dancing down the hall with such spirit when I knew I wouldn't see her for much longer. I had to see Racy kiss Illosovic when I knew I'd never see them get married. I had to see Momma and Daddy discuss plans for Racy's wedding with the Red King when I knew I wouldn't be there to stop it. I had to see everything in my life and know that I would never see any of it again. Though…perhaps we could come back when we were older…maybe when I was 18 or so.

I spent most of the day in my room, packing up my clothes, even though we still hadn't picked a day to leave. That was something I'd have to discuss with him. I didn't want to leave tomorrow, but I needed time to talk to Mirana about it. I knew he didn't want anyone to know, but we could trust Mira. I couldn't leave her wondering where I was…it was cruel.

**Mirana of Marmoreal, 14 years old**

"Now, my dear, you can pick from your classes. Which do you want to go to first, second, and then third? Whatever order you choose will be permanent."

"I'd like to take Healing first, Potions second, and…Dominion of the Dead third," I said, grimacing. Nothing in the world could make this experience be pleasant. Now that I thought about it, I should've just taken Music- or whatever it was called- with my sister. It probably would've been easier on my sanity.

* * *

"Good morning, Princess," the older women said softly.

"Nice to meet you, Medicine. Please, call me by my name? This Princess business is going to get old very quickly." I was already comfortable around her. She was wearing a white nurse's outfit, complete with a nurse's cap. She handed me an outfit similar to hers with a smile.

"Of course, dear. Would you mind changing into this for me? Hospice regulations," she added with a sad smile. I took it happily and went to change. From what I've seen so far, this class was my favorite. I don't think any other class could possibly top it!

* * *

During Healing, I hadn't learned, so much as I walked around the hospice. It was a sad sight. These poor people had no chance of being cured! I told myself that I'd pray for them each night. Medicine had assigned me a patient, telling me that I'd care for this person (or heal them emotionally) until they passed and then she'd graduate me to the hospital in which I'd learn to heal someone physically.

My patient was a young man named Andrew. He was sweet and kind from what I'd gathered. No one knew what kind of disease he had, but I believed it to be like mine, only he had gotten it later in life. His temperature rose too high and then plummeted too low from time to time. He told me that he was often too weak to talk. I was glad I had him- I knew what he was going through.

I also knew that he had a high chance of survival…but even he did not believe me when I told him.

"You're going to live, you know," I said encouragingly when he began coughing harshly. I had been talking to him for an hour. I loved his eyes- they reminded me of Julia. They were a deep blue and his hair was messy and brown. His skin was as pale as mine.

"I find that difficult to believe." This boy had wisdom beyond his years, much like me. Maybe it came with the disease. When you spend so much time in bed, you need something to do. I read, and I bet he did as well.

"Well, look at me! I'm still here, aren't I? I had the same symptoms as you when I was merely 8! And you, you're 15. I bet you'll do better than I ever did," I said, smiling. "I've got to go now, but I'll be back tomorrow morning, alright?" I stood up and kissed his forehead, smiled once more, and patted his hand.

"Bye, Mirana."

* * *

Potions passed quickly…well, as quickly as it could. I had yet to memorize the ingredients for Pishalver and Upelkuchen- two of the easiest out there. Mother was not about to give up though, and said we'd try again tomorrow afternoon.

Once that lesson was over, I was able to stop for lunch. I wanted so badly to eat an English muffin with jam, but I remembered my vow. Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today. Of course. So I settled for a Squimberry Tart, courtesy of Racy. We hadn't been talking lately for whatever reason. When she saw me, she handed me the Tart and left the room. I could literally feel the anger rolling off of her in waves. Was she still angry from when I told her not to marry the King yet? Or had the King done something wrong?

_I can only hope, _I thought smugly, downing the tart and getting a sip of water.

Off to my final lesson of the day…

* * *

I entered the dark room slowly, cautiously, and sat down in one of the black chairs. I could feel Death when he wasn't even the room yet. He had a dark, ominous presence, no matter how nice he truly was. When he walked in, a chill ran down my spine. He was wearing all white, but that wasn't what was creepy. His eyes- the whites, irises, and pupils alike- were black. His hair was black but his skin was paler than mine- a difficult shade to achieve.

"Good morning, Mirana. Before you say anything, I must warn you- I haven't had a pupil in over 50 years. This course has left many traumatized- but I think you'll make it. You're stronger than most. I remember time and time again your mother called me to your bedside when you were fatally sick, and yet you'd pull through every time." I was shocked by this news- I didn't remember a bit of it!

"In this course, you will learn how to keep the dead at bay- a very important job, simple as it seems. You will also be able to help those people who are…passing to pass more easily and happily. I'm sure you'll have an easy time with that because I see you're taking healing as well," he said, picking up my 'file.'

"By the time you pass out of this course, you will have kept the dead at bay for 2 years; helped someone die nicely 10 times; and, if I think you're ready…I'll let you bring someone back from the dead. Someone you love very much. I must let you know- this can be dangerous. People change in the Underworld, but it's not necessarily applicable here. Are you alright with that?"

I could only nod, for the excitement was getting to me.

Tarra would be back. I swear it.


End file.
